


Caught Between Heaven and Hell

by Starfire_Wildheart



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Assault, Bullying, Child Abuse, Hazing, Humiliation, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Non- Con assault, Non-Con Video, Public Humiliation, Sexual Assault, Threats of Rape/Non-Con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-07-22 03:04:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 57,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7417144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starfire_Wildheart/pseuds/Starfire_Wildheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High School AU, After being made lab partners Rick and Daryl become friends and eventually more. Daryl is stalked and assaulted by some bullies at school. The assault is videoed and put on the internet. Daryl is left to deal with the fall out and humiliation of his attack.</p><p> </p><p>IS COMPLETE</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In this chapter there is physical violence and bullying. 
> 
> There is Non-Con in this fic but NOT penetration RAPE. I will put the non-con attack in a chapter of its own so if you don’t want to read it you don’t have to and can still read the rest of the fic. I will label each chapter with the proper labels so you can be prepared! Hope you enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> ~*~

 

 

 

Daryl forces himself to take slow, deep breaths with each step on his walk from home to school but by the time he makes it to school the pain in his ribs is like someone digging a knife into his side and twisting it. He breaks out in a sweat, his eyes are watering and his lungs are on fire but he pushes through and makes it to his first class just before the bell rings.

 

Rick looked up as his lab partner eased himself down into his seat. Freshman year had started with a bang just a little over a month ago but now things were starting to settle into a calmer routine. High school was supposed to be the best time of their lives but so far it didn’t seem much different than junior high other then there was a lot heavier workload and the new kid, Dixon.

 

Daryl was an enigma wrapped in a riddle wrapped in a puzzle and it was a puzzle Rick had thought a great deal about how to solve already. He was easy on the eyes sure but Rick felt drawn to the boy on an entirely different level than he’d ever experienced before. He knew Daryl had an older brother who was a senior and that they lived in the poor neighborhood. The four weeks he’d been sitting next to Daryl he’d come to school with varying bruises that ranged from a black eye to burns Rick has seen on Daryl’s arm when his sleeve got pushed up as he reached for something.

 

“As you know I have asked everyone if they are comfortable with their seating arrangements and have made adjustments for those that requested them,” Mr. Greene said as he walked around the room placing two folders on each lab table. “The person you are sitting next to is your lab partner for the rest of the school year which means you will also be doing group assignments and labs together as well as one to two presentations each quarter.” Everyone groaned knowing that was a lot of assignments and work to look forward too. “I have given you each a folder with this week’s assignments and your first lab that is due together Friday.” He held up his hands when everyone started complaining at once, “it’s not a big assignment,” he reassured. “It’s just something to get you use to working and studying together.”

 

Daryl chewed nervously at his lip through the rest of class worrying about working with Rick. Sure he seemed nice enough but he wasn’t good around other people and there was no way in hell he could ever have Rick over to his house. What if Rick’s parents knew who his parents were? The more he thought about it the sicker to his stomach he got. This would never work, he’d have to figure something out. He’d been so lost in his thoughts that he physically jumped when the bell rang signaling lunch.

 

“So you want to meet after school and talk about this assignment?” Rick asked as he stood and followed Daryl out of the room toward the cafeteria.

 

“Um, you should talk to Mr. Greene about getting a new partner man. I’m not sure I can keep up and there is no use in me dragging you down with me.” He quickly turned to the left and walked outside to find a place out of the way for lunch.

 

Rick was still staring after him when Shane slapped him on the back and laughed. “You see a hot chick or somethin’?”

 

Rick rolled his eyes playfully, “Hot chicks are all you think about.”

 

“Hell yeah,” he laughed as they walked into the lunchroom and got their food. “Met some new guys in my Math class and I want to introduce you. They are cool as hell!”

 

He listened to Shane drone on about his new friends and what he wanted to do for the weekend but his mind was on Daryl. He couldn’t figure him out at all. He knew Daryl was smart just from what little time he’d been around him so the ‘not able to keep up’ thing was a cover. “Do you know anything about that Dixon guy? The one in our English class.”

 

“Daryl?” His eyebrows shot up to his hairline. “Not really, other than his brother is a druggie piece of shit. His old man is a drunk and he lives over on Dalton.” He took a drink of his water before leveling Rick with a look. “Why?”

 

“He’s my lab partner and Mr. Green said we would be working a lot together,” he shrugged trying to play it cool.

 

“Phillip and some of the guys pick on him I think.” Shane took a bite of his hamburger still talking animatedly. “He’s a freak ya know? Always quiet and jumpy, actin' all weird and shit.”

 

“You’re weird and I don’t let anyone pick on you,” Rick pointed out with an arched brow. He didn’t like the way Shane seemed to be ok with the idea.

 

“Come on man its high school the guy should be able to take care of himself,” he huffed. Rick had to save him from a bully a couple of years ago and since then it was like he was on some sort of moral high horse.

 

                                                                               ***   ~~~   ***

 

Daryl enjoyed the feeling of the sun on his face as he rested against one of the big Oak trees in the quad. Lunch was almost over and he’d made it without a run in with the ‘assholes’. That was what he named a group of guys they had started picking on him the second day of school when they saw Merle punch him in the stomach and make him throw up. Phillip, Nicholas, Dwight and Gareth, A.K.A ‘The Assholes’ thought the whole thing was so funny they wanted to try it. They took turns seeing which one could hit him hard enough to make it happen. They hadn’t succeeded yet, none of them hit like Merle and his old man, but it wasn’t from lack of trying. At least three days a week they cornered him somewhere and beat him up. He fought back the best he could but four against one weren’t odds he could beat much less with the preexisting injuries from his bouts with his drunk old man.

 

Standing from his spot under the massive oak he headed toward the building planning what he would say to Mr. Greene so he would assign Rick a new lab partner. There were about ten minutes left on their lunch and he hoped to catch the teacher alone before he had to go to his next class. He didn’t see the foot that shot out to trip him until it was tangled with his own feet. He hit the concrete steps hard cutting a gash his arm, ripping one of the knees in his jeans and twisting his wrist at an odd angle not to mention his already bruised ribs screaming at the impact. He curled around his injured hand arm and ribs as he could to try and protect himself and forced down the tears he could feel stinging his eyes. He wouldn’t give the bastards the satisfaction of seeing him cry.

 

Luckily he was fairly adept at hiding the worst of his injuries so a quick trip to the janitors closet and a roll of paper towels later he managed to clean up the blood dripping from his arm and bind it so it didn’t bleed through the for the rest of the afternoon. By his last class though his wrist was killing him and the gash was stinging like crazy. His head hurt and he really just wanted to get out in the woods away from everyone. He had just made it down the front steps when he heard Rick calling to him.

 

“Daryl! Hey, wait up man,” he called as he ran to catch up with his lab partner. “I looked for you after lunch but I must have kept missing you somewhere. Want to head to my place and start on this assignment?”

 

“I should get home,” he tried to keep his voice level and not show any outward signs of the pain he was feeling.

 

“Come on man I don’t bite and besides, I know you’re not stupid. You afraid of me or something?” he teased.

 

“I’m not afraid of anything,” he bristled.

 

“Woah, I didn’t mean anything by it,” he felt bad for offending Daryl. He hadn’t realized his joke would hit on an apparent touchy subject.

 

He sighed letting his eyes slip closed for a moment. He had no right to take his crappy day out on Rick, this wasn’t his fault. “Fine, let’s get this over with.”

 

Somehow he felt like he was forcing Daryl to do something against his will and he didn’t like the way it made his stomach knot up and tension shoot up his spine. He wouldn’t twist anyone’s arm to spend time with him. “Look if you really don’t want to come over I am not going to force you.”

 

“No,” he said a little too quickly and could feel his face heating as his cheeks turned pink. “It’s fine, ‘sides we need to get started like you said.” Rick seemed like a good person and he was really trying to be nice to him.

 

The rest of the walk was spent discussing classes and how they like being in high school. Rick wanted to keep the conversation light because he felt like if he said the slightest thing that put Daryl on edge he’d run like a spooked horse. He didn’t comment on how slow Daryl’s pace was or how he was visibly starting to limp and cringe the longer they walked. He stopped a few times pretending to need to tie his shoe or look at something in a random yard just to give him time to breathe because he knew Daryl would never admit he needed a moment. Even in the short amount of time, he’d know the boy he knew he would never admit to being in pain or that something was wrong and Rick wasn’t going to bring it up.

 

Daryl eyed the two-story brick house with the big Maple door fitted with gold handles and locks. As the climbed the four stairs to the front porch he started to get nervous. What id Rick’s parents freaked out because he was there? Mouth suddenly bone dry he hesitated, “You sure your folks will be ok with me just showing up?”

 

“Sure,” he said as if it was the oddest question ever. His parents never cared if he brought friends over. “Dad’s at work right now but mom is here and I promise she doesn’t care. Come on,” he motioned as he opened the door and walked inside.

 

Daryl followed Rick through the door of the house and was amazed at how cold it was. He didn’t have the luxuries of things like Air Conditioning at home. He jumped when Rick yelled out to tell his mom he was home.

 

“In the kitchen dear,” Molly Grimes shouted back.

 

Daryl slowed his pace when Rick started toward the kitchen. “Shouldn’t we get to work?” Parents didn’t like him. Most of them knew who his father was and didn’t want ‘trash’ in their home and he really didn’t want to have that confrontation if he didn’t have to. He was starting to regret agreeing to do this.

 

“Need to grab some drinks and food man, I’m starving.”

 

He took a deep breath and followed him as he mentally prepared himself for what he was sure was coming. The house was huge to Daryl’s eyes but in reality, was on the plush side of modest and was so clean he was afraid to touch anything for fear of getting dirt on something so he stood nervously fidgeting and cradling his wrist.

 

“Hey mom,” Rick smiled as he stood behind her and kissed her cheek grabbing a piece of cookie dough out of the mixing bowl she was using.

 

“Richard Grimes,” She scolded and swatted at his hand. “Wash up before you touch food.”

 

He laughed sheepishly as he stuck the bit of dough he’d managed to escape with into his mouth. “Mom, this is my friend Daryl. Daryl this is my mom,” he introduced absently as he washed his hands and dried them.

 

“Hi Daryl,” she smiled politely.

 

“Hey,” his voice was soft even to his own ears. ‘Way to make an impression Dixon,’ he sighed to himself.

 

“Is this your first year going to school in town? I don’t remember you in any of Rick’s classes in middle school.” She wasn’t being nosey just making idle conversation as she spooned the dough out onto a pan in little blobs.

 

“We, uh, we move around a lot. Not out of town or nothin’ just,” he shrugged.

 

She could tell the boy was extremely shy and didn’t want him to be uncomfortable. The fact that he was Will Dixon’s son had her torn not knowing if she should be leery of him or feel sorry for him. To her credit, she didn’t judge him. Walking around the counter with a soft smile she put a hand on his back and nudged him toward a stool. “Sit, sit, I will have some fresh cookies out of the oven in just a minute!”

 

He looked at Rick for help but the boy just laughed and sat down next to him plopping a bottle of water in front of him. Rick ripped opened a bag of chips stuffing several in his mouth at once before tilting the bag toward him. Daryl shook his head no and opened the bottle of water. The cold liquid soothed his dry, scratchy throat and he nearly sighed in relief.

 

“Daryl honey, did you scrape your arm on something?” Molly asked when walked back to the sink to wash her hands and saw blood where she’d touched Daryl.

 

He froze, muscles going so tight that it physically hurt him and a wave of panic washed over him. He was so damn stupid to come here and now he had gotten blood on something and he was going to be in huge trouble. “I.I..” he stammered, waiting for something to happen.

 

“Hey, it’s ok,” she soothed putting on her best mommy look and smiling kindly at him as she approached. “Let me see how bad it is?”

 

“No,” he jumped to his feet nearly knocking over the stool. If she saw him she would know what was going on with him and then there would be trouble.

 

“It’s ok man,” Rick soothed trying to calm his friend down. “She’s a nurse, it’s a thing for her,” he joked and she shushed him. “Just let her put a band aid on it and she will leave you alone.” He snickered when his mom hit him with a dish towel. “Hey!”

 

“Hush and go get my first aid kit,” she shooed her son away. “That boy, sometimes I don’t know what to do with him,” she chuckled. Reaching out for Daryl, who had nowhere left to run, she pulled his jacket off like it was the most normal thing in the world. “Oh honey,” she tutted when she saw the state of his arm.

 

He backed up slowly until he bumped into the stool he’d vacated earlier almost falling over. “Fell,” was all he could come up with and prayed that she didn’t ask more questions. His heart was racing and he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

 

She ignored how terrified the kid looked and kept her tone soft and gentle to try and sooth him. “Must have been a bad fall. Why didn’t you go to the school nurse honey?”

 

Rick came back into the room and sat the first aid kit on the counter. “Oh man,” he cringed when he saw Daryl’s arm.

 

“Not to worry I will have this fixed up in no time,” smiling at him. Daryl’s arm was wrapped in what looked like the industrial type paper towels that were used at the school and his hand and wrist were swollen and bruised. Carefully unwrapping the blood soaked paper she saw several gashes still sluggishly bleeding. She was glad she noticed the blood because he would have a bad infection if he’d left this much longer.

 

Daryl tried to force air into his lungs to settle himself which made his ribs twinge. He was still waiting for the other shoe to drop and have Mrs. Grimes start yelling at him and slapping him because he was around her son and he was a Dixon. He sat as still as he could while she dabbed at the scrapes with a wet cloth even though it stung like crazy.

 

Rick scowled as he saw the injuries and noted to himself that he didn’t have them in class before lunch because he’d seen his hand when they were going over the stuff in Mr. Greene’s folder. Having deduced that it had to have happened while he was at school the thought back to when it could have been and decided it had to have happened sometimes during lunch because that was when it seemed like Daryl started avoiding him. The oven timer dinged and he got up and took the cookies out before his mom even asked.

 

“Thanks, sweetheart,” she looked up from her task long enough to smile at her son. She worked as quickly and efficiently as she could and soon had Daryl’s arm treated and wrapped in gauze. “You need to have this wrist x rayed honey it could be broken.”

 

“No,” he shook his head. “S’not broken, I can move my fingers.” He wiggled them to prove his point.

 

“Alright but at least let me wrap it for you,” she fussed. Digging through the first aid kit until she found an ace wrap and bound his wrist.

 

He couldn’t believe how much better it felt with that little band around it. “Thank you, Mrs. Grimes,” he mumbled, head lowered confused that someone would do that for him.

 

“Call me Molly, or mom,” she scolded. “Mrs. Grimes is my mother-in-law.”

 

“Umm we should get to work,” he pleaded silently with Rick needing to put some space between him and Mrs. Grimes. She was a nice lady but it was a little much for Daryl who was used to being alone.

 

“Let’s go up to my room,” he nodded and led him upstairs.

 

Rick’s room looked like something he’d seen once on T.V. There was a nicely made bed, dresser, and chest that matched, a desk with a computer and printer on it and a T.V. on the other side of the room with a couple of game systems and a ton of games. He stepped farther into the room when Rick motioned for him to sit in one of the chairs at the desk as he dug out his folder from his backpack.

 

They had been working for about half an hour before Mrs. Grimes came upstairs with a tray of snacks. “I know you are growing boys so I thought you might want these,” she smiled as she sat the tray down. There was a plate of cookies, a bowl of chips and two sodas. “And this is for you,” carefully placing the ice pack on Daryl’s wrist. “Need anything else?”

 

“No, we’re good. Thanks, mom,” Rick said as he shoved a cookie in his mouth.

 

“Can you stay for dinner, Daryl?”

 

“Nah, I need to get home soon but thanks.”

 

“Aww, well maybe next time,” she patted his shoulder and went back to the kitchen.

 

“She always like that?”

 

Rick laughed, “Yeah pretty much.”

 

“You’re pops anything like that?”

 

“He’s a little sterner, doesn’t believe in babying like mom does but he’s awesome. Doesn’t take any crap from me and holds me accountable for what I do,” he shrugged.

 

Daryl didn’t think that Mr. Grimes sounded like someone who would like him very much so he decided he needed to head home before he got home from work. That gave them roughly another hour to get the assignment done


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of child abuse and treatment of injuries ahead... be warned.

Chapter 2

 

 

It had been a few months since Daryl and Rick became lab partners and started spending a lot of time together. Daryl was starting to relax and get more comfortable around Rick and his mom. Daryl had even started joking around with them but he’d always leave before Rick’s dad got home and Rick didn’t understand why. Rick had really started falling for Daryl and wanted to spend all of his time with him. He wanted to ask Daryl out but his dad had a rule that he had to meet the boy first and Rick was getting impatient because he could never seem to get Daryl and his dad in the same room at the same time.

 

It was Friday night and he was sitting at home moping because Daryl said he couldn’t come over after school. He’d thought about going to his house and talking to him but he knew there had been some trouble with Merle and he didn’t want to take a chance on making things worse for Daryl.

 

Bobby Grimes eyed his son over the top of the paper he was reading. Molly had told him that Rick was really smitten with this Daryl kid, though Rick hadn’t said so himself. Bobby could tell it was true by the faraway look in his son’s eyes and how every conversation recently seemed to revolve around Daryl. He was a little worried when he found out that Daryl was Will Dixon’s son. Bobby had grown up in this town and knew all about the Dixon family and their ‘family business’ so he wasn’t thrilled when he found out who Daryl was but Molly had convinced him to give the boy a chance because he seemed like a good kid. He chuckled to himself when Rick dropped his book for the third time in the past hour. “Not a good book?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Your mind seems to be somewhere else,” he smiled. Rick felt his face getting hot and he squirmed under his father’s stare. “Your mom said that your friend Daryl was coming over tonight. I’m looking forward to meeting him.” He’d wondered why Rick hadn’t introduced them yet and wanted to make sure Rick knew that he was willing to give Daryl a fair shot even if he was Will Dixon’s son.

 

Butterflies seemed to declare a war in his stomach as soon as Daryl’s name left his father’s mouth. “He was supposed to be here but something came up.”

 

“Seems like that has happened a lot.” He saw the discomfort on Rick’s face and the tenseness in his posture go rigid.

 

He knew this was coming but he didn’t want to face it. Rick didn’t want to hear the lecture he knew he was about to have to endure because of who Daryl’s family was. Anger started to slowly build in his gut as he thought about how unfair it was that people judged Daryl without even knowing him! He clenched his fists at his sides and waited. “You don’t like him because he’s a Dixon right?” his tone much sharper than he’d ever used toward his father before.

 

Bobby saw the anger and frustration in Rick’s body language and tone and was surprised. It wasn’t a reaction Rick had for anything often and he realized just how deep Rick’s feelings must be for the Dixon boy. “First, watch the tone with me please and second you assume that I’m going to unfairly judge Daryl without meeting him first, isn’t that exactly what you’re doing to me? You aren’t even giving me a chance to ask about him without biting my head off son.”

 

He looked down at his hands which were now clasped in his lap and felt bad for assuming his dad was not going to at least try to be nice to Daryl. His father was a fair guy and had always been kind to everyone. “M’sorry dad it’s just that I really want you to like him. He’s nothing like his family but no one seems to care about that. They just lump him in with the rest of the Dixons.”

 

“He means a lot to you, doesn’t he?”

 

Before he could answer there was a knock on the door. “I’ll get it,” Rick said, grateful for the reprieve. He ran a hand through his hair as he swung the front door open and a goofy grin spread across his face. “Daryl?” he was shocked to find Daryl, back facing him, standing on his front porch. Rick’s heart raced and he bounced happily on his toes. “Hey! I’m glad you came by. Come on in,” he stepped back to give him room but the other boy didn’t move. Taking a closer look at him Rick noticed that his shoulders were hunched and he was shaking. A feeling of dread washes over him as he realized something wasn’t right. “Daryl, are you ok?”

 

His heart was pounding in his chest and his lungs burning from running all the way to Rick’s house. His back felt like it was on fire and his whole body ached. When he ran out his front door he hadn’t intended to go to Rick’s house he just wanted to get as far away from Will Dixon as he could. The truth was he didn’t even realize where he was until he was standing on the porch. He didn’t have anywhere else to and he trusted Rick but what if he was wrong? What if Rick didn’t want him around when he found out just how sick his father was? Would Rick’s parents call the police? “This was a mistake,” he whispered and moved to walk away but Rick’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.

 

“Daryl, talk to me man,” he grabbed his shoulder and turned Daryl so that he was facing him and he wished he hadn’t. A myriad of emotions plowed their way through him and settled on a heart-wrenching ache when he saw Daryl. “Oh my God. What happened?” he gasped and tugged his friend inside. Daryl’s face was bloody and bruised, lip and eye swelled and starting to turn black already, cut on the bridge of his nose. Daryl looked like he’d gone ten rounds with a prize fighter and landed on his face every time. His eyes were glazed and unfocused like he was a thousand miles away.

 

By now Bobby had heard the commotion and walked to the entry way to see what was going on. “Everything alright son?”

 

Rick looked up at his father with unshed tears in his eyes as he carefully turned Daryl so his dad could see his face. “Dad?” His voice was soft and pleading for help.

 

What Bob saw made him livid. “Take him up to your room. I’ll be right there.”

 

He nodded and guided his friend up the stairs taking most of his weight as Daryl struggled with each step. He had just helped Daryl sit down on one of the desk chairs when his mom and dad rushed in carrying the ever present first aid kit and some other supplies.

 

Molly’s breath caught in her throat when she saw the shape the young man was in. She gave Rick’s shoulder a quick squeeze in support before leaning down to face the other boy. “Daryl, honey, I’m going to clean you up a little bit alright?” Molly said softly, letting him know before she touched him. Placing her hand under his chin and lifting his head so that he was looking up at her tears filled her eyes. Who would do something like this she wondered. Taking the wet cloth she’d brought with her she began to wipe the blood from his battered face. She could feel how bad he was trembling and could hear his teeth starting to chatter. “Rick, go downstairs and get him a soda and grab one of the thick quilts out of the linen closet, quickly, he’s going into shock.” Rick took off without hesitation.

 

“What can I do?” Bobby asked as he paced, angry and frustrated.

 

“Stop that for one, you’re making him nervous and get me a couple more wet cloths and a towel.” She managed to get all the blood off of his face by the time both men got back with their supplies. Rick handed her the glass of soda and she held it out to Daryl. “Honey, you need to drink this. You need the sugar in your system to help combat the shock that’s setting in.”

 

He couldn’t focus on anything but the fear and pain surging through him but he heard Mrs. Grimes tell him to drink something. He reached out to take the glass but his hands were shaking so bad he nearly dropped it and managed to slosh some of it out on his shirt. It was the thing that pushed him over the edge and he felt tears stinging his swollen eyes and a lump forming in his throat. Now he was going to get in trouble for spilling the drink and he would have nowhere else to go.

 

Seeing Daryl’s panic getting worse he knew he had to try and calm him down. “Let me help,” Rick said stepping up next to his friend and taking the glass. He held his hand over Daryl’s, touched the glass to his lips and tilted it until he took a couple of drinks holding tighter to the glass when Daryl tried to push it away. “Hey,” he knelt down next to Daryl and whispered. “You’re safe now Daryl. I’ve got you. Now try just a little more alright? It will help,” he tilted the glass again. He kept encouraging and soothing him until most of the soda was gone and Daryl wasn’t shaking as bad.

 

Molly was proud of her son for having such a compassionate and caring nature. Once Rick had gotten Daryl to calm down some she knew she needed to get back to work on him. “Rick, get one of your t-shirts, sweetheart and let’s get this sticky shirt off of him.” She reached out and dabbed at a cut above Daryl’s eye that was still bleeding before reaching down to the hem of his shirt and lifting it up.

 

Daryl freaked out when he felt someone tugging at his shirt and surged to his feet to try to get away from the intruding hands. “No! Don’t!” He lunged forward and tried to run away.

 

Bobby was in Daryl’s path so he just corralled the boy and wrapped him up in his arms to stop him from running or hurting himself more. “Easy now, no one here is going to hurt you son. We just want to help but you have to calm down and let us.”

 

Rick’s heart was breaking as he watched Daryl struggle to free himself from his father’s grasp and something hit him like a ton of bricks. Daryl had been avoiding Rick’s dad all this time because it was his own father who hurt him all the time. It was why he was so timid and unsure around men and suddenly everything made perfect sense! Gathering his courage he pulled Daryl away from his dad and into his own arms. “Shhh, I’ve got you. It’s going to be alright Daryl, no one is going to hurt you here.” He pressed a kiss to his head and rocked him, gently rubbing his back and was relieved when he felt Daryl’s arms wrap around his waist and cling to him. They stayed like that for several minutes letting him calm down before Rick pushed him back enough to look into his eyes. “Let’s get this shirt off and then you can lay down and rest for a while ok?”

 

“C..Can’t” he hiccupped trying to curl back against Rick and hide.

 

“Sure we can,” he encouraged and tugged up on the hem of his shirt until he slipped it over his head.

 

“Son of a bitch!” Bobby growled and Daryl’s whimpered and curled in on himself, his shaking doubled.

 

“I’m sorry, so sorry,” he whispered over and over as he hid his face in his hands. He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole he was so embarrassed and ashamed.

 

“Who did this to you?” Bobby demanded.

 

“Dad,” Rick pleaded, hoping his father would back off for a while and let them get Daryl calmed down again. He pulled Daryl back against him, embracing him as tight as he could without causing him more pain. “You are safe here, I promise Daryl.”

 

“No! This kid has been lashed Rick,” he said angrily. “Someone needs to pay!” The boy’s back was covered in blood had roughly eight slashes across it where someone had struck him with a belt hard enough to tear the skin.

 

“No, please, you can’t,” Daryl begged, pulling away from Rick. “It will just make it worse. I’m sorry I came here. I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I’ll go and you won’t ever see me again I swear just please don’t tell.”

 

Bobby saw the fear in the kid and knew that something bad would really happen if it wasn’t handled properly. “Alright, alright,” he held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Just calm down and I promise I won’t call anyone but you have to let us take care of you properly, understood?”

 

Daryl nodded and wiped angrily at the hot tears that wouldn’t stop streaming down his cheeks. He let Rick turn him and pull him to lean against his chest while Molly started cleaning his back. By the time she was finished the pain was so bad that he had his hands clenched in Rick’s shirt and had broken out in a cold sweat.

 

“Are there any other wounds Daryl?” Molly asked carefully. When he shook his head no she gave him a stern look.

 

“Not any broken skin,” he promised.

 

“Alright, Rick is going to get you some sleep pants to change into and we will be back with something to help with the pain,” Molly said as she shoved Bobby out of the room. Rick gave Daryl a pair of his sleep pants and left him to change while he went to the bathroom to do the same. When he came back out Daryl was sitting on the edge of the bed, hands resting in his lap and to Rick, he looked like a lost little boy instead of the hard-edged teenager he knew. Slowly approaching so he didn’t spook him Rick sat down next to Daryl. “Can you tell me what happened?”

 

“Merle got sent off again yesterday, gonna be a year this time and the judge said something about he might have to join the military to stay outta jail because he’s about to turn 18.” He didn’t know why that thought made him so sad because Merle was always really mean to him but for some reason it made him feel empty inside. “Old man was pissed because all the Oxy and X that Merle had on him to sell got confiscated by the cops. He just kept bitchin about how much money it cost him and how we were both useless and pathetic. I knew it was gonna get bad and I tried to leave but he grabbed my hair and threw me down.” He wrapped his arms around himself as the memories came flooding back. “He just kept hittin’ me and hittin’ me,” his voice broke.

 

Rick put his arm around Daryl and kissed the top of his head. “Shhhh, it’s over now.”

 

Bobby had been standing in the hallway and heard everything. He knew Will Dixon was a piece of work but he had no idea that he was this bad. He knocked on the bedroom door before entering watching Daryl jump away from Rick as if he’d been burned. “Molly said for you to take these,” he held out two oblong pills. When he saw the skeptical look in Daryl’s eyes he understood. “They are Motrin to help with the pain, that’s all.”

 

Daryl took the pills and swallowed them with the soda Rick handed him. “Thanks.”

 

“Lay down and try to rest alright, both of you. If you need anything or you the pain gets worse just call for us.” He put his hand on Daryl’s head, “You’re safe here son, no one is going to hurt you, I promise.”

 

Daryl shook his head, “Need to go.”

 

“Home? I don’t think so, son. I have agreed to talk things over before I make a decision about calling anyone but I’ll be damned if I am letting you go back there tonight.”

 

“Why do you care?” His tone wasn’t hateful or smart but truly curious as to why someone would care what happened to him.

 

Bobby knew if he told Daryl that anyone would care about him or because he thought he didn’t deserve to be treated so badly that Daryl wouldn’t believe him and would fight him overstaying. So he told him the one thing he knew Daryl would believe. “Because my son cares. Now rest, if you need anything just let one of us know. You are safe here Daryl and welcome.”

 

They sat in silence for a while after Mr. Grimes had left, Rick contemplating how to approach Daryl and not spook him and Daryl trying to figure out why he hadn’t been thrown out on his ass or had the cops called on him but most of all he was confronting his feelings about Rick for the first time head-on. He’d been attracted to the other boy for a while now but Rick wasn’t that way. He was a great guy and the best, if only friend Daryl had ever had and he didn’t want to fuck that up. He didn’t know why he showed up on his doorstep. “I’m sorry Rick,” his voice was rough from crying and his throat swollen when his father had choked him. “I shouldn’t have come here. I just, I didn’t know what else to do.”

 

“Stop, don’t you say that Daryl. Why would you be sorry? I’m glad you trusted us enough to let us help.”

 

“Merle usually helps me clean up after but he’s gone and,” his throat tightens and the stupid tears fill his eyes again.

 

“This happened before?” he asked in disbelief.

 

Daryl shrugged and instantly regretted it as it pulled at his injuries and made him wince. “Not this bad,” he picked at some lint on his pants. “Burns mostly is what I have to have help with sometimes. The shower can clean up everything else. He’s dislocated my shoulder a couple of times and Merle put it back.” He saw the look on Rick’s face and started shaking his head. “Don’t. Look at me that way,” he hissed. “I don’t need your damn pity.”

 

“It’s not pity,” he told him, “its compassion and concern. Daryl, I care about you, a lot.”

 

“You care about all your friends.” He relaxed a little realizing the truth in his own statement. Rick would help any of his friends like this so it wasn’t pity. “It’s the kinda person you are Grimes.”

 

Rick couldn’t help but feel pride at that because he really did try to be good to others when they deserved it but Daryl just wasn’t picking up the hints he was dropping. “You get that I care about you more, different than the others right?” Daryl just looked at him and Rick got nervous. Maybe he’d misunderstood what had been happening for the past couple of months and Daryl wasn’t interested in him too? “I’m sorry, I thought, never mind,” he stood and walked across the room to get the remote. He would help Daryl get comfortable and then go out for a walk and try to figure out how to salvage their friendship. God, he was such an idiot!

 

“Wait,” Daryl hated how desperate he sounded. Could this really be happening? “I, are you, I mean,” he stumbled over his words.

 

“Gay? Yeah,” Rick nodded. “You are too right? I mean I wouldn’t have considered it but I just sorta’ thought you liked me I guess. I’m sorry if I’m wrong man I..”

 

“You aren’t,” his voice was so soft he wasn’t sure if he even said it out loud until Rick was sitting next to him again rubbing his thumb over his trembling jaw. He’d never openly admitted to anyone that he liked men because his Pa and Merle would have killed him but he was pretty sure they had their suspicions with all the derogatory names they always called him. His heart was thudding against his ribs so hard he just knew if he looked down he would be able to see each beat as Rick leaned closer to him. “Wait,” he pushed him back and jumped to his feet. “Your parents.”

 

Rick frowned, “What about them?”

 

“What if they see?” he hissed.

 

“What? Me, kiss you?” He smiled as Daryl blushed. “My parents know that I like guys,” he soothed and stepped closer. Slowly lifting his arm he wrapped his hand around the back of Daryl’s neck and ran his thumb along the skin there. “Kissing isn’t a bad thing, they wouldn’t be mad.”

 

He was about to say something when Rick pressed their lips together in a soft, sweet kiss before pulling back with a smile. Daryl let his arms wind around Rick’s waist and timidly rested his head on his broad shoulder. He felt one of Rick’s big hands rest on his hip the other still cupping the back of his neck and Daryl knew he was being careful not to hurt his injuries.

 

Rick was over the moon that Daryl initiated contact. He held him close placing soft kisses on his head and swaying minutely side to side until he felt some of the tension fade from Daryl’s muscles. With one last kiss to the side of his head, he gently pushed Daryl back. “Come here,” he whispered softly and led him to the bed where he turned back the covers and motioned for him to climb in.

 

“No, I can’t take your bed,” he protested. “I’ll sleep on the floor.”

 

“Daryl,” he waited until the blue eyes were on his. “Shut up and lay down.”

 

There was a firmness to Rick’s tone that he’d never heard from him and it sent a shiver through Daryl’s body. It wasn’t forceful or mean but commanding and Daryl obeyed, carefully lowering himself onto the bed laying on his side. He was surprised when Rick laid down next to him and pulled him to his side until Daryl’s head was resting on his shoulder.

 

Rick reached over and picked up the remote flipping the T.V. on and finding a show to watch as he ran his hand through Daryl’s hair until they both fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy Fluffy Fluff

Bobby Grimes scrubbed his hand over his face trying to get his eyes to focus on the computer screen when his legal aid walked in with a cup of coffee. “Thanks, how did you know?” he smiled and accepted it gratefully.

 

“You look like you got the weight of the world on your shoulders right now,” Sandy replied as she stepped behind his chair to see his computer screen. “Oh, that man is bad news!”

 

“You know about him?”

 

“Yeah, well, just by word of mouth but my dad and mom told us about him. What did he do now?” She asked as she moved to sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

 

“Nothing I can prove yet but,” he eyed her trying to judge whether or not he should confide in her. She was young but he trusted her. “My son,” he started.

 

“Rick?” She smiled, “such a sweetheart.” A few years earlier when she had first started working for Mr. Grimes he had brought Rick in to help lug boxes of court records while they crammed for a big case. She grew really fond of the boy after that and was always happy when he came to visit.

 

“Thanks,” he smiled proudly. “Rick’s friends with Will Dixon’s son Daryl and the more I spend time with that kid the angrier I get.”

 

“Oh no, is he just like his dad?” worry creased her face.

 

“No, just the opposite from what I can tell, honestly. The life that kid lives,” he clenched his fists in anger. "No one should be subjected to that much less a child. I can't go into detail but Daryl would never tell a social worker or officer what goes on in that house. I want to help so bad but without doing those things I don’t know how else I can make it stop.”

 

“You know my brother Bob works for the Sheriff’s department, maybe the two of you could ride out to his house and just scare the shit out of him? Maybe put the good Ol’ fashioned fear of God in him?”

 

“Unfortunately, I tried to have a talk with Mr. Dixon about two months ago, the first time Daryl came to our house bloody and it didn’t go well”

 

He thought back to that night and how badly Daryl had been beaten. The following morning he talked to Daryl about what exactly had happened.

 

~flashback~

 

Bobby went upstairs to check on the boys after he heard them get up and start moving around. He knocked on the door facing, smiling as he saw them sitting on the bed resting against the headboard, Daryl leaning against Rick.

 

Rick felt Daryl tense when he heard the knock and try to move away from him like they were doing something bad but Rick wouldn't let him. He tightened his arm around Daryl's shoulders and kept him pressed tight against his side. "Hey dad, come on in."

 

He walked the rest of the way into the room and sat down on the side of the bed. "I know this isn't going to be easy but we do need to talk about what happened last night Daryl."

 

Daryl's stomach lurched and his head pounded as he wondered how bad the fallout was going to be from him showing up last night. All he knew

to do was keep his mouth shut and try not to make things worse then he'd already made them.

 

"Daryl?" Bobby didn't know how to proceed because there was more at stake here then turning an abuser over to the authorities. If he did this wrong he could ruin his son's friendship with the boy.

 

"I'm sorry I bothered ya'll. I shouldn't have come here." His voice sounded forced and he couldn't bring himself to look at either of them.

 

"Stop saying that Daryl," Rick sighed. "You were hurt and you needed help. I don't understand why you think that was wrong or bad."

 

"Because it only makes things worse!" Daryl snapped. He was angry with himself for being so damn weak and at Rick for not understanding how bad his coming here would make things.

 

"You can trust my dad Daryl, he promised he wouldn't go to the police. Right, Dad?" Rick looked at him expectantly but didn't give him a chance to say anything before he continued speaking. "He just wants to help and he might be able to find another way but you have to tell him the truth."

 

"How can you help when the cops can't?" Daryl asked, disbelief in his voice.

 

"He's a lawyer and he might be able to find a way," Rick explained. He promised not to tell and he won't but if he can find a way, a safe way to help don't you want that?"

 

He got up and started pacing the floor, anxiously. He wanted the beatings to stop more than anything but if Rick was wrong and he couldn't trust Bobby Grimes things could get even worse for him. He thought about the few times a teacher saw the burns on his arms or the nice lady at the corner store who saw his black eye and busted lip when he was little. They only wanted to help him but it never helped. Then there were his dad's buddies who would watch him and see if he was trying to tell on his father or show people the marks and get him in trouble. "Whenever someone finds out they either go to my dad and tell him I let them see or they go to the police or CPS and turn him in!"

 

"They are trying to help," Bobby explained, thinking that Daryl saw it as someone tattling on him.

 

"But it doesn't help," he spat, his voice full of venom. "They go and talk to him and tell him someone made a report and then they leave saying they are going to check up on me. All it does is pisses him off and he," his voice broke.

 

"He what?" Bobby asked keeping his tone soft and kind.

 

Rick stood and walked to Daryl, wrapping his arms around him. "Please, tell him? I don't want you to be hurt like this again, especially if there is a chance my dad can stop it."

 

Daryl thought about what Rick was saying and how much he trusted him but he still wasn't sure he could trust Bobby Grimes. As scared as he was he agreed to tell the lawyer everything he needed to know and pray that it wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass.

 

~end flashback~

 

 

“Did he threaten you?”

 

Bobby was pulled from his thoughts by her question. “Yes, but that wasn’t the bad part.” A shiver ran through him as he remembered the aftermath of his attempted good deed. “Daryl begged me not to and I wouldn’t listen. I thought if he was confronted Will Dixon would be too afraid to lose his drug business to hurt his son again if he knew an attorney was aware of what was happening. Instead, he was livid and things got worse for Daryl. It was a week before he was able to go back to school and three weeks before he could get out of his house to see Rick again. Neither of them has forgiven me for it yet.”

 

Sandy frowned at the sadness in his voice. She knew how close Bobby was to Rick and she hated that there was a rift. “What can I do to help?”

 

“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” he shook his head.

 

“You didn’t, I volunteered and I won’t take no for an answer,” she insisted.

 

He laughed, “I guess the first thing I should do I make an appointment with someone from CPS and see what options we have.”

 

“Great,” she stood, “I’ll make an appointment with Sasha.”

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

 

Rick had his arm around Daryl with his boyfriend leaning against his side, his head resting on Rick’s shoulder as they sat on the couch in the Grime’s den, some mindless show playing on T.V. They had been spending more and more time together since Daryl’s old man finally forgot about the ‘incident’.

 

Daryl glanced up and saw Rick grinning. “What are you smillin at?”

 

“Just thinkin about you.”

 

He rolled his eyes, “I swear you’re like a damn romance novel.”

 

“You love it,” he placed a loud kiss on the top of Daryl’s head, laughing as his boyfriend smacked his stomach and sat up. “Owe!”

 

“Jerk,” he hissed playfully.

 

“Mm-hmm,” he nodded as he leaned closer to Daryl.

 

“Always thinkin with the wrong head, you know that?” He smirked but leaned closer to Rick.

 

“Can’t help it. You do thangs to me.”

 

“Thangs?” He laughed but before he could comment further Rick pressed his lips to his, gently prodding at the seam with his tongue until Daryl parted them. He could kiss Rick forever. The way their tongues slid together, his heart rate increasing and Rick’s hand, that always finds it’s way around his neck and into his hair holding him in place. He loses all track of time when they are like this as if the only people in the world are the two of them. If he believed in that stupid romance stuff he’d say he might even think the world stopped as long as he was in Rick’s arms. He never thought he’d be comfortable being so open like this but Rick had been so patient with him and willing to give him the time he needed to adjust. He was still uncomfortable with public displays of affection but he accepted them for Rick. He didn’t want to hold hands or kiss at school but he had agreed that nowhere else would be off limits.

 

The first time the went on an official date and Rick took him out to dinner Daryl was so nervous he thought he was going to throw up but true to form Rick started joking with him and talking about planning a hike in the woods and soon Daryl was relaxing. He held Daryl’s hand as they left the restaurant and he was afraid to look up and face people’s reaction, but Rick pressed him against the car and kissed him until he couldn’t focus. When they parted Rick placed a finger under his chin and tilted his head up. He realized out of everyone around only one or two of them were even looking at them, after that it was easier until they were around kids from school.

 

A persistent knock at the door caused Rick to groan and reluctantly break the kiss. “Damn it,” he groused pushing himself off the sofa and going to the door.

 

“Ok Grimes get your ass out here, let’s go,” Shane clapped his hands. “A bunch of us are going to play football and your sorry ass is going!”

 

“I can’t, I have company.”

 

Shane’s shoulders fell with disappointment and his palms started sweating. He really needed to discuss something with Rick. “What? Come on man you never spend time with your friends anymore.”

 

He cringed and rubbed his hands together nervously at the thought of disappointing his friend. “I’m sorry man.” He felt bad that he hadn’t spent any time with Shane lately but Shane didn’t like Daryl and that made everyone uncomfortable.

 

Daryl overheard the conversation and his stomach dropped. He hadn’t realized that he was keeping Rick from his friends because he’d only been focused on the two of them. Rick needed his friends and Daryl would sacrifice time with him if that’s what it took. Purposefully making noise so Rick would know he was coming he walked over to them. “He’s right, you should go hang out with your friends. I’ll see you at school Monday.” He almost leaned in to kiss him but thought better of it with Shane standing there.

 

Rick grabbed Daryl’s hand and stopped him from going out the door. “Wait, I want you to stay. Why don’t you come with us?”

 

Daryl chewed on his bottom lip. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

 

“Why not?” Rick frowned.

 

He gave his boyfriend a pointed look. “Cause I can’t play right now.”

 

Jealousy reared its ugly head as soon as Shane caught sight of the other boy. He knew Rick had a ‘saviour’ complex but he was taking this Dixon thing too far in his opinion. Sure Rick had asked him to hang out with him and Daryl but he wanted Rick to himself. Maybe he could push Daryl’s buttons and make him not want to be around them. “Then watch with the other girls,” Shane sighed.

 

“What the hell Shane?” Rick snapped, pissed off at Shane’s constant crap about Daryl. He had no idea why Shane didn’t like him but he was starting to go too far. Shane's new friends seemed to be having a bad influence on him. He’d even asked him to come hang out with him and Daryl but Shane flat out refused.

 

Daryl jumped when Rick shouted, his heart stuttering in his chest for a moment before he recovered. The last thing he wanted was to cause a fight between the two of them. He didn’t know what Walsh’s problem with him was but he assumed it had to do with the fact that his new best friends were ‘the assholes’. Placing a hand on Rick’s shoulder he shook his head, “don’t, it ain’t worth it. I’ll see you Monday.” He pushed past Shane and headed down the street toward home.

 

“Daryl,” Rick called after him but he didn’t stop. “Damn it! You are such a prick sometimes man," he sighed at Shane.

 

“I know, now come on,” he pulled his friend out the door. When Rick stopped halfway to the car and looked to see if he could see where Daryl went Shane rolled his eyes. Grabbing Rick’s arm he dragged him down the sidewalk and opened the passenger side door.

 

Sliding into the hot leather seat of Shane’s car he rolled his shoulders to try and disperse some of the tension. “Why do you do that stuff to him?” He watched out the window as they left his neighborhood and debated on asking Shane what his problem was. He wanted them all to be friends and the fact that Shane wasn’t willing to even try didn’t bode well for their future and he really didn’t want to have to choose between his boyfriend and his best friend.

 

“I don’t know,” he shrugged his shoulders. There was a reason but he didn’t really want to go into it right now. He finally had his best friend at his side again and he didn’t want to waste it talking about Dixon. “You know I’m dating Lori Madison right?” he said pompously, puffing out his chest with a cheesy grin on his face.

 

“Dating or doing?” With Shane it was likely the latter because he always said being with just one person was a disservice to the community.

 

“You know there ain’t a girl in town that can resist this,” he waved his hand over himself like he was the greatest prize at the fair.

 

Rick shook his head, astonished and a little envious at how confident Shane was. “You are the most conceited asshole I have ever met.”

 

“Maybe,” Shane smirked playfully, “but the truth is the truth brother.” Both boys laughed and Shane punched Rick in the arm.

 

Rick’s glad that they were able to fall back into their normal banter like they hadn’t spent any time apart at all. Seeing Shane like this again made him tempted to tell him about he and Daryl. Before he could though Shane spoke again.

 

“You know she’s a wild thing too man. She wants to try all these new positions and places,” he said in awe, proud that his new girl was knowledgeable in his favorite area of study.

 

Rick had to bite back a laugh at the proclamation. “You mean there is a position that the great Shane Walsh didn’t know about?” he asked in mock indignation.

 

“Fuck you man,” he glared. After a moment his face softened, “She has a thing for you too ya know?”

 

“What?”

 

“You know,” he gestured, “both of us, together.” He bit his lip his knuckles going white on the steering wheel as he nervously waited for Rick’s reaction.

 

Rick did laugh this time. The thought of being with anyone besides Daryl made his skin crawl much less someone like Lori Madison who had probably banged the entire football team at one time. It just wasn’t his thing. “Never gonna happen”.

 

His jaw dropped at Rick’s response. Shane couldn’t believe he wasn’t interested in double teaming his girl and was a little pissed off about it. “Why the hell not?” he asked indignantly.

 

“I’m not into sharing man.” He tried to avoid the conversation he knew he was going to have to have sooner or later and hoped it would be much later. He wasn’t ashamed to tell Shane about being in love with Daryl but he was dreading the big ordeal he knew Shane would make about it.

 

As soon as he pulled into the parking area at the park he shut the car off and turned to face Rick. “One of these days Grimes you are going to have to come down off your high-horse and stop looking down your damn nose at everyone!” He got out of the car and slammed the door leaving Rick in stunned silence.

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Two weeks had passed since Rick told Shane about his relationship with Daryl and it had taken him by surprise, to say the least. All three of them had been making an extra effort to spend time together, Shane and Daryl both trying to be friends for Rick's sake.

 

This past weekend they spent Friday together playing video games and watching movies. It went so well that Rick had invited them both over again tomorrow night to do the same. He had wanted to spend time alone with Daryl today but Shane had asked him to ride into Atlanta and he’d said yes.

 

Shane watched the water in the bottle slosh around from the shock waves of Rick’s bouncing knee and swallowed past the rising motion sickness as he slapped a hand down on his friend's knee to stop him. “What the fuck man?”

 

Rick winced at the smack and the irritation in Shane’s voice. “Sorry brother just can’t seem to focus.”

 

“Yeah, I know what you’re focused on.” He couldn’t hide his grin when Rick blushed. He hadn’t expected the bombshell of Rick being gay much less that Daryl Dixon was his boyfriend but after a few tense moments of processing it he was happy for his best friend.

 

He could feel his face heat and he knew he was blushing like a girl but it was true, he was thinking about Daryl and how much he wished he could have come with them. “Shut up,” he groused.

 

“So have you done it yet?” he asked bluntly.

 

Rick sputtered exasperatedly that Shane would ask something like that and blushed even hotter. At this rate, he was pretty sure he would spontaneously combust before they ever got out of town. “Shane!”

 

“What?” He liked the way Rick squirmed at the question. He’d been with Lori several times already so he was proud to still be ahead of Rick in the sex department. “Do you not want to do it with him?”

 

“Of course, I do!” He was slightly offended by the question. “It’s just different with him is all.”

 

“Well the hole is different but it’s the same theory,” he teased. “Maybe a little tighter. Owe fuck!” he yelped when Rick punched him hard in the shoulder. “Ok, ok,” holding up one hand in surrender. “So have you ever fucked a guy before?”

 

“SHANE!”

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

 

Daryl was sitting at his desk thumping his pencil idly against his notebook as he thought about the quickly stolen kiss he’d shared with Rick before class. He was glad Rick and Shane were spending time together again so when Shane asked Rick to go with him to Atlanta after school he didn’t hesitate to tell his boyfriend he thought it was a great idea. Rick seemed sort of reluctant to go saying he’d wanted to spend time with Daryl but he finally agreed to go on one condition, that he get to give Daryl a kiss before he left which meant it had to be now because they didn’t have their last class together since they had to leave as soon as school dismissed.

 

Daryl, of course, wasn’t really crazy about the idea because he didn’t know what would happen if someone saw them but when Rick grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and pulled him around the corner to the fourth hall, which was rarely used his heart pounded against his chest in anticipation. His mouth went dry when Rick pressed closer. “What are you doing?”

 

 

Rick watched Daryl’s pink tongue dart out to lick his lips and he knew his boyfriend was nervous so he didn’t drag it out. “I’m kissing you,” he whispered before he pressed a quick kiss to Daryl’s lips. When he felt Daryl deepen the kiss and slide his tongue into his mouth it took all he had not to moan.

 

Daryl felt his stomach tighten as a chill ran through him at the idea of them getting caught and he was torn between loving the feeling and hating it at the same time. When he deepened the kiss he felt Rick’s muscles tighten beneath his touch. Breaking apart he heard Rick’s soft whine and he had to envision gutting a deer to stop all the blood in his body from going south instantly. Rick’s pupils were wide and he had a look of stunned amazement on his face. It was a look Daryl really wanted to see more of. Clearing his throat, “should get to class.”

 

“Huh? Oh, class!”

 

Daryl laughed as they made their way to his classroom. “See ya tomorrow.”

 

“See ya,” he was still staring at Daryl as he walked away and bumped into someone nearly knocking them to the ground. “Oh sorry!” Daryl shook his head and walked into class with a goofy grin on his face.

 

The last bell rang and Daryl was headed out of class when Mr. Mamet asked him to stay for a moment. He fidgeted trying to remember if he’d done anything wrong. “Sure.”

 

Once everyone was out of the classroom Mr. Mamet turned to him, “I’ve noticed a big change in you Daryl.”

 

He started to sweat as he shifted his weight from foot to foot hoping that he wasn’t going to call his father for some reason. “Look whatever I’ve done wrong, sir, I’m sorry. I know my grades are bad and..”

 

Mr. Mamet held up his hand to stop him. “Daryl, you haven’t done anything wrong, just the opposite in fact. Your grades are improving and you seem much more focused and happy lately. I believe in giving praise as well as criticism and I wanted you to know your improvements have not gone unnoticed.”

 

He swallowed hard and looked down at his feet nervously wringing his hands, not sure how to react to being complimented. “T..thanks sir.”

 

Mr. Mamet took pity on the boy. “See you, Monday Daryl,” he smiled.

 

Daryl waved and made a hasty exit. He was so lost in thought about what had just happened that he didn’t hear Dwight step up behind him until he and Gareth grabbed him and dragged him down the hall into the boy’s locker room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Non-Con ahead! This is the attack scene so be warned! If you chose not to read this chapter the only thing you will miss is the attack! Chapter 5 will pick up right after. Trying a new system for those who don't want to read non con! Let me know what ya think.

Daryl struggled as he was pulled into the locker room. A cold bolt of fear run through him when he saw all four boys together. Phillip and Nicholas took turns punching him in the stomach while Dwight and Gareth held him. “Get the fuck off of me!”

 

“Watch your mouth boy!” Gareth growled and backhanded him hard causing his head to snap to the side. When Daryl was hanging limply in their hands the assault stopped. They let him go and he collapsed to the floor instinctually curling into a ball. They moved so that he was surrounded, all of them circling him and dread caused his stomach to tie into knots.

 

“Heard you like cock,” Phillip sneered, standing over him. “So we thought we’d see how tight that little ass of yours is.”

 

Fear reared up in Daryl and he knew he had to do something to protect himself. Of all the hell he’d endured at the hands of his father, brother and their friends he’d never been raped and he was not going to let it happen if he could help it. Using his adrenaline rush to his favor he surged to his feet swinging as he went. He felt his fists connect with someone’s face and another person’s nose. Giving everything he had to try and break free he lunged for the door but it wasn’t enough. There were just too many of them and he couldn’t take them all out in time no matter how hard he tried. Something hit him in the head and everything went black.

 

“Hey! Wake up,” Phillip smacked Daryl in the face for the third time. He watched the boy’s eyes roll a couple of times before they slid open. The look of fear sent thrills shooting through him as he watched Daryl start to shake and struggle to get free.

 

“L..let me go.” Daryl hated how scared his voice sounded to his own ears. This couldn’t be happening, not like this. His hands were tied above his head, with his own belt, to one of the pipes in the shower and he was completely naked.

 

“Come on man,” Nicholas said. “Look at him, he’s got scars all over him. Just let him go.” He was losing his nerve to go through with the plan.

 

Phillip’s head snapped toward the other boy and he snarled. “I didn’t ask your fuckin opinion did I?” Phillip had been planning this for a while now. He wanted to get in with Merle and his friends so bad he could taste it but they always called him a kid and just blew him off. He knew if he wanted them to notice him he had to do something that would get their attention. Phillip and the other guys had seen Merle, Negan and Martian beating up on Daryl and he started plotting. His plan was full proof and when Merle saw what he’d done Phillip would finally be welcomed into the fold.

 

Gareth walked up to Daryl lewdly rubbing himself through his jeans. “I bet you like takin it don’t you? Getting split open and pounded, bet you beg to be filled with load after load don’t you bitch?”

 

Daryl pulled himself up as tall as he could, jutted out his chest and hissed defiantly. “Ain’t nobody’s bitch!”

 

He realized at some point that people like this, like his father, brother and ‘the assholes’, must be taken aside at some point in their childhood and taught to hit and hurt someone so that the marks aren’t visible and no one would ever see unless you showed them. Was there some sort of master and apprentice relationship with abusers where they younger generation was taught how to strip away their victim’s humanity and gouge at their very soul?

 

Phillip sauntered over and ran his hands down Daryl’s flank loving the way goosebumps broke out on his skin. “Gonna enjoy this. I’m gonna cum all over you and mark you so everybody knows you’re a slut. When someone looks at you all they are going to be able to see is how you got four guys off at once,” Phillip taunted.

 

Daryl spat in Phillip’s face, the only way he could lash out at his attacker since his hands were tied. His body was aching from the awkward position he was hanging in and his legs were so numb that they couldn’t support is weight any longer.

His jerked back hard against the wall when Phillip pulled a knife from his boot and cut the belt bound him to the pipe. As soon as Phillip freed his arms he hit the tile floor hard. He was shaking and going into shock as the boy leaned over him and smacked his face.

 

They took turns pinning him to the ground and rutting against him, rubbing their hard cocks in his face and grinding against him trying to get him hard as well. He withdrew into his own head trying to block out what was happening to him. Hands were everywhere touching, poking, pulling and hitting and everything started to bleed together. What if Phillip was right? What if people knew what happened? Would they be able to look at him and tell that he’d had all of them touch him? How could he ever face Rick again know that he was a slut? He’d always joked about how Lori had done the entire football team and now Daryl was just the same. He wasn’t a willing participant but it still made him a whore right?

 

Phillip struggled to keep Daryl under control. He had no idea that the boy had so much strength. Even with the four of them trying to pin him he kept bucking and squirming so much that he couldn’t get him in position to fuck him so he compromised and the all humped every part of him they could get to making sure he knew what was happening, that he realized what he was now; Phillip’s whore.

 

Daryl whimpered and curled into a ball when he felt warm liquid hit him in the face and more in three other areas on his body. When he realized what it was his heartbroken. He was lying on a filthy floor, beaten, humiliated and covered in cum.

 

“You look good covered in cum slut,” Phillip sneered as he tucked himself back into his jeans. Each of them had taken turns jerking off and cumming on Daryl, relishing in the way he struggled like each white ribbon burned his skin. “too bad that little dick of yours didn’t work but you’ll learn.”

 

Gareth walked over, bent down and smacked Daryl’s ass hard enough to make him yelp. It was enough to push Daryl over the edge and he sobbed, tears running down his face as he shook. “Next time we will fill that little ass of yours and give you a reason to cry!”

 

“I can’t wait till everyone sees this,” Phillip cackled as they left the locker room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> abuse, assault, beating, it gets worse before it gets better!

Daryl stood under the scalding spray of the shower scrubbing his skin raw trying to feel clean again. Their ejaculate had washed off quickly but their touches and the horrible feeling they left in their wake was a different story altogether. As much as he wanted to just curl up and die on the locker room floor he’d heard someone coming and quickly put his clothes on and ran out of the school. He didn’t stop running until he was home.

 

Of course, it would be the day that his father’s drug shipment came in so the house was full of people partying and trying to get some free hits of whatever drug of choice was flowing around. He’d managed to make it to the bathroom mostly unnoticed except for a couple of Merle’s buddies Negan and Martin. They had shoved him around a little bit saying that they had to keep him on his toes with Merle gone but he managed to get free quickly and ran down the hall to the bathroom.

 

Martin’s dad Joe was the supplier for Will Dixon and of course Merle, Negan, and Martian were the pushers who sold the shit for them. Daryl had refused to be a part of any of it years ago and even though it earned him a lot of ass kicking’s from his old man. Merle had stood up for him and told their dad that as long as he was selling there was no reason for Daryl to have to start. No sense in all the Dixon’s being in jail at the same time. Will reluctantly let it go but his anger toward Daryl tripled.

 

The water had turned cold and Daryl didn’t think he was going to feel any cleaner no matter how much he scrubbed so he shut off the shower and stepped out. He made quick work of drying himself and dressing, barely allowing himself a glance in the mirror to view the bruises and welts on his body. He wanted nothing more than to escape out into the woods and try to clear his head. After brushing his teeth and running a brush through his hair he headed down the hall to the kitchen.

 

He opened the door to the fridge intending to grab some of the deer jerky and deer sausage to take into the woods with him when someone grabbed a handful of his hair and jerked him backward. “What the hell?” he hissed and tried to pull free, thinking it was Negan or Martian.

 

“You sick little fucker,” Will Dixon hissed in his ear. His breath reeked of whiskey and something Daryl didn’t even want to think about. “You think I wasn’t gonna find out?” he demanded as he slammed Daryl’s head against the door facing, disorienting him.

 

Daryl hit the ground hard when his father shoved him into the front room where everyone was staring at them. They were all smirking and laughing about something and Daryl knew whatever was about to happen wasn’t going to end well for him. “Find out what? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“No?” He backhanded Daryl so hard that blood splattered on a nearby table from his busted nose. “You’re a fucking lying little bastard on top of everything else? Should have killed you as soon as your whore of a momma squeezed you out!”

 

“Don’t talk about her like that!” he growled. His mom may have been a drunk but she was still his mother and he’d protected her every way he could when he was little. After everything his father had done to her, to hear him even say her name sent an angry rush through him.

 

Will grabbed a fist full of Daryl’s hair and jerked his head back at a harsh angle, “Why? Because you know you’re a fucking whore just like her?”

 

Daryl struggled to get free from his harsh grasp but the injuries he’d sustained earlier limited his ability to fight back. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!”

 

Show him,” Will demanded as he shoved Daryl away from himself in disgust. Joe’s son Martin took out his cell phone and pushed play on a video link.

 

What he saw sent waves of humiliation and fear through him. His attack had been recorded and put online for everyone in the world to see. His body must have realized how traumatized he was because things began to shut down. Air wouldn’t fill his lungs, his heart had gone from pounding rapidly in his chest to not beating at all and truthfully, he wasn’t really sad about it. Death would be a comfort to him unlike his life had been.

 

Daryl could hear his father shouting and could feel the belt biting into his skin but it was like he was outside his own body watching it happen. Everything seemed distant and surreal to him like a dream he couldn’t wake up from. He heard his old man say “Teach him what happens to people like him, boy’s” before all hell broke loose.

 

There was no blissful unconsciousness for Daryl Dixon though, he thought bitterly as he felt someone grab his ankle and lift his leg before stomping hard on his shin and snapping his leg while someone else wrenched his arm up behind his back hard enough to break his arm. Maybe it was what he deserved? Maybe he should have died as a kid when his mom gave him a bottle filled with whiskey so he’d stop crying. Maybe, just maybe it would finally be over.

 

 

***   ~~~     ***

 

 

Bobby looked up from the TV when he heard the front door open and Rick and Shane laughing. “How was the trip boys?”

 

Rick laughed when Shane ran up to his dad and planted a big smacking kiss on the top of his head. “Hey, pops!”

 

“Shane!” Bobby swatted at the boy with his paper but he danced gracefully out of reach before he could make contact.

 

“Trip went great,” Rick said as soon as he returned to the kitchen with a couple of sodas. “Shane got some cream for that rash he has that just won’t stop itching and.. ow!” he grunted when Shane punched his arm.

 

“Don’t be makin your dad think I got some sort of STD man!”

 

Bobby laughed, “I’ve seen some of the girls you’ve dated Shane. I expect it any day now,” he teased. Rick guffawed.

 

Shane shook his head and chuckled himself. “That just ain’t right pops,” he sighed as he sunk down onto the sofa next to Rick.

 

Bobby looked at his watch and stood, “you boys eat dinner yet?”

 

“No, Rick wanted to get home just in case Captain Heart Throb showed up.” Shane rolled his eyes playfully.

 

“Kinda miss him myself,” Bobby said thoughtfully. “He’s a lot more respectful of his elders than you,” he shot a look at Shane who actually snorted with laughter.

 

“You love me, old man, admit it,” Shane arched a brow at him.

 

“Yeah but it doesn’t mean I have to like you,” he fired back. He loved that he could joke with the boys like that. Shane had been around since the boy’s had started kindergarten and he was like his own son now. “Mom’s got night shift this week so..”

 

“Pizza!” Shane and Rick said in unison. About forty-five minutes later they were all eating hot pizza and watching a movie.

 

Halfway through the movie, Shane got a text from Gareth with a link in it that said ‘Man you HAVE to watch this!! It’s all everyone is talking about.’ He clicked the link and a screen popped up showing the inside of the locker room at their school. What he saw next made him sick and brought tears to his eyes.

 

Rick reached for his soda on the coffee table and caught sight of Shane out of the corner of his eye. “Shane?”

 

His mouth went dry as he blinked back tears, hating that he was going to have to tell Rick about what was on the video and he knows it was going to break his heart. He jumped when Mr. Grimes said his name.

 

“Shane,” Bobby said for a second time as he paused the TV. He could tell something was wrong so he walked over and sat on the coffee table in front of him. “What is it?”

 

“I’m sorry man,” his voice broke as he looked at his lifelong best friend.

 

“Sorry about what?” Rick asked, placing a supportive hand on Shane’s shoulder.

 

“I,” he tried to tell him but he just couldn’t so he handed Rick his phone with a shaky hand.

 

Rick was confused but he took the phone and looked down at the screen. He saw that there was a video link so he pressed play. There was no audio but the video, obviously shot with a cell phone, showed the inside of the high school boy’s locker room. As the person with the phone moved farther into the room he saw three other guys come into view standing around someone. As the cameraman pushed to the front of the group Rick gasped. “Oh God, no.”

 

Bobby moved to sit next to his son on the sofa and saw what was on the screen. He tried to take the phone but Rick wouldn’t let him. “Son, you don’t need to see that.”

 

“Yes, I do!” Tears were streaming down his face by the end of the video. Daryl had endured enough torture at home and now school wasn’t even safe for him. He wiped the tears away angrily and got to his feet. “I have to find him. He needs me.”

 

“Ok, we will go look for him,” Bobby soothed as he stood up next to his son. Rick was visibly shaking and was angrier than he’d ever seen him before. When he reached out to touch his shoulder Rick jerked away.

 

“Don’t,” he seethed. “He’s the one who need comfort and help, not me!” He stomped toward the front door and stopped. His heart was pounding and his ears were ringing.

 

“Ok, let me get my keys and we will go to his house first alright?”

 

Shane stood and made his way toward Rick, head lowered and he felt like someone has sucker punched him. “I’m sorry brother. I.. I wish I hadn’t had to show you.”

 

“Who sent it?”

 

“Gareth sent the link,” he explained. “But I don’t know who made the video.”

 

“Who do we go to school with that would do something like that? How can people be that damn cruel and heartless?” He started pacing back and forth wondering what the hell was keeping his dad.

 

Shane squeezed Rick’s shoulder, “I don’t know but I will help you find who did this. I promise you that.”

 

As Bobby returned to the room he was turning off his cell phone, “let’s go.” They all piled into the Grimes SUV and started down the street.

 

“He lives in the other direction dad,” Rick reminded him.

 

“He’s not there.”

 

“What? How do you know that?” Rick asked.

 

“Your mom called. Daryl was brought into the ER a couple of hours ago.”

 

“What? Why did she wait so long to call? Is he alright? What did those bastards do to him?”

 

“Calm down son,” Bobby raised his voice to get to try and get him to calm down. “She called as soon as she could but you know she wasn’t even supposed to do that. Now I’m going to take you to see him but you are going to have to keep yourself calm or they won’t let you stay, alright?”

 

Rick took a few deep breaths willing himself to calm down enough to be presentable on the outside so he could go to his boyfriend but on the inside he was frantic. His mind was playing over different scenarios of what could be wrong with Daryl. He was going to make someone pay.

 

Molly Grimes was standing at the registration desk talking to the triage nurse when they walked in. She saw how bad Rick looked and pulled him into a hug. “Sweetheart I’m so sorry,” she crooned. “We need to talk,” she took his hand and led them back to an empty room.

 

“I need to see him, mom, please,” he begged.

 

“And you will, but first I need to tell you what to expect.”

 

“I saw the video! I know what happened to him,” he growled as fresh tears sprang to his eyes.

 

“Video?” she asked, confused.

 

“Of the attack,” Bobby explained. “Someone put it on the internet.”

 

“Not all of it,” she said.

 

“What?” three sets of eyes snapped toward her.

 

“I had hoped you hadn’t seen the video,” her voice was full of sadness. “He was roughed up pretty badly but the worst damage done in that attack was emotional and mental. It was his father and his friends that caused the worst physical damage.”

 

“His father?” Rick groaned. “What are you talking about mom?”

 

“Sweetheart,” she hated this but knew she had to tell him. “A few hours ago the police got an anonymous call reporting an assault in progress. When they got to the Dixon’s home what they found was,” her voice broke. “Apparently, someone showed Will Dixon the video and he didn’t take it well.”

 

“Oh, God,” Rick sighed and sunk down onto a nearby chair. He knew how homophobic Will was and knew how bad the ramifications of that video would have been for Daryl.

 

Molly knelt down in front of her son and took his hand in hers. “Daryl was in bad shape when they found him. His face is bruised and pretty swollen and there are some cuts around his eyes and nose. He’s most likely going to be sleeping because he’s on some pretty strong pain meds but you can set with him for a while.” She stood, still holding her son’s hand, “Bobby, you and Shane will have to sit out in the waiting room for now.”

 

“Of course,” Shane said. “I’m here if you need me, brother.”

 

Rick felt like he was being led to the electric chair as he walked through the hospital emergency room toward Daryl’s room. He paused as his mom pulled the curtain back and tried to slow his breathing and prepare himself for what he was going to find. Nodding once to his mom he stepped through the curtains and what he saw caused his heart to shatter to pieces.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description of violence.

Rick was sitting in a chair next to Daryl’s hospital bed holding his hand tightly between both of his own, sobbing as he kissed the bruised fingers. Daryl looked like he’d been run over by a train. There wasn’t a place left on his body unmarred, his face swollen to the point he was almost unrecognizable, his left arm had been twisted so hard that the bone broke in a spiral fracture and his shoulder dislocated. His right leg had been broken below the knee by someone stomping on it. The word whore had been carved into his lower stomach with a knife. He had I.V’s pumping lifesaving fluids, antibiotics, and pain meds through his system.  

 

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. I should have stayed with you. I could have stopped all this. I could have,” his voice broke and he laid his head down on their clasped hands and sobbed.

 

Daryl struggled to wake up. He felt so sleepy like he hadn’t slept in a month and he had to fight to force his eyes open. Something was calling to him in his semi-conscious state, something he knew he needed to do but he couldn’t focus enough to figure out what it was. The more he tried to force himself awake he began to realize where he was and remember what had happened to him. He took stock of his body, everything hurt but his arm and his leg were throbbing with each beat of his heart and his stomach burned like it was on fire. As he was inventorying what his injuries were he realized there was a warm weight on his right hand. It wasn’t painful but soft and wet?

 

Rick felt Daryl’s hand move and he gasped, “Daryl?” Looking up he saw the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen, Daryl’s blue eyes looking back at him. They were unfocused and fuzzy from medication but he was awake and looking at him!

 

“Rick?” His voice was raspy and it hurt to talk.

 

“I’m here,” he lifted Daryl’s hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to his palm.

 

A wave of guilt and humiliation washed over him as he remembered the attack in the locker room. It was online and Rick would probably see it and he wanted to tell him before that happened. He needed Rick to know he didn’t want them to do that. He wasn’t a willing participant and he would never cheat on him. Hot tears started streaming down his face and he squeezed Rick’s hand. “M’sorry. M’ so sorry,” he sobbed.

 

Rick was confused as to why Daryl would say he was sorry when he was the victim of all of this. He sat on the edge of the bed and ran his hand through Daryl’s hair wanting so badly to pull him into his arms but he didn’t want to cause him more pain. Stroking a thumb over his cheek to wipe away the tears he leaned close and pressed their foreheads together. “You have nothing to be sorry for sweetheart. None of this is your fault. I should have been here, should have been with you and maybe I could have stopped this.”

 

Daryl shook his head as he clung to Rick’s hand and rested it against his chest. “They would have hurt you too. Too many of them Rick. I’m glad you were gone cause I couldn’t have watched them do that to you.” The thought of them putting their hands on Rick made his sick to his stomach. “D..did you see it?”

 

Rick nodded, unable to find his voice, and placed a lingering kiss on Daryl’s head. Both boys shed silent tears, heads still pressed together, their tears mingling together as the fell down their faces. “Won’t let anyone touch you again Daryl, I swear it.”

 

“Didn’t want it,” he sniffled. “You know I didn’t want it, don’t you? I’m not … I don’t sleep around and..”

 

“Of course, I know you didn’t want it! Anyone who saw it knew you didn’t want it, sweetheart.” They sat in silence for a moment while Rick tried to figure out how to ask his next question. The only way was to just ask it and as much as he didn’t want to put his boyfriend through it, he had to know. “Daryl, on the video they were rutting against you and trying to…” his voice broke. “Did they, you know?”

 

Daryl shook his head, “tried but I fought. I fought as hard as I could and they couldn’t hold me still enough to get it in.” He was used, tainted and worthless but at least he hadn’t been penetrated and that was something. “Rick,” he hesitated a moment to fighting the sob trying to escape him. “I.. I know it’s disgusting to even look at me after what you saw and I get that you won’t want to be with me anymore but do you think you could still set with me for a while? You know, as my friend? I mean if we can still be friends? If not I understand,” he babbled nervously through his tears. It was so hard for him to reach out to anyone but it was the first time in his life he’d ever asked anyone to stay with him and he was terrified of the rejection he knew was coming. Why would Rick want to stay? Why would he even want to be around someone like him after what happened?

 

Rick’s heart dropped when he realized that Daryl thought he was going to leave him. He placed a hand on either side of the other boy’s face, cupping his head and looking directly into his eyes. “Daryl I’m not leaving you sweetheart. I’m still your friend and always will be but I’m also your boyfriend and that isn’t going to change. What happened to you pisses me off beyond belief but not at you. I’m pissed at the assholes who did this to you and at your bastard of a father who punished you for being assaulted. I know it’s hard for you to accept that someone cares about you but you know by now that I love you and so do my parents. You aren’t alone anymore.”

 

As if on cue there was a soft knock at the door before Bobby walked in. “Hey, you're awake,” Bobby smiled as he walked to the opposite side of the bed that Rick was currently sitting on. “You are one tough kid, you know that?”

 

“Not tough enough,” Daryl said sadly, looking down at his and Rick’s clasped hands. “Didn’t stop em, any of em.”

 

“Don’t know anyone who could stop four on one and five on one attacks without a gun,” Bobby told him. “No one could have fought their way out of that.” He pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down facing Daryl. “We need to talk about what’s going to happen now. Sheriff Stookey is here and he needs to talk to you about what happened today.”

 

“They’re going to send me away aren’t they?” He asked forlornly. He was going to have to go to some foster home and he wouldn’t be able to see Rick again. His heart rate and blood pressure both started to elevate from stress.

 

“Shhh, it’s ok Daryl,” Rick soothed.

 

“I will do everything I can to help Daryl but I need you to cooperate with Sheriff Stookey and answer his questions. If you don’t then they will say you are uncooperative and start getting court orders to make decisions for your best interest.”

 

“I’m a Dixon, they ain’t gonna help me. They just lump me in with my dad and Merle.”

 

“They won’t this time,” Bobby said, adamantly.

 

Daryl looked up at him. “What’s different about this time?”

 

“You have one of the top family advocate lawyers in the state representing you,” he informed him.

 

Daryl’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I can’t afford a lawyer much less a good lawyer.”

 

“I am taking the case for free,” he informed him. He smiled when Rick shot him a grateful look. Bobby put his hand and Daryl’s chest, the only place he knew he wouldn’t hurt him. “You are not alone Daryl. We will do everything we can to help you as long as you are willing to help us.”

 

He didn’t know what to say or how to feel about someone helping him and for free to boot. What did he ever do to deserve something this good to happen to him? Or was this just a trick for Mr. Grimes to send him away from Rick because he was ashamed of him being with Daryl? He didn’t think Mr. Grimes would do that but he didn’t understand why he would help either. It was too good to be true but he really didn’t have a choice at this point. “What do I have to do?”

 

Bobby told him the process they needed to go through. He would be questioned by the Sheriff then have to see the CPS worker. Daryl panicked again because he’d only ever had bad experiences with CPS and he was afraid they would try to put him in a group home. Bobby assured him that they were not going to do that because one, he had a long stay ahead of him in the hospital and two, he was going to petition the court to allow Daryl to stay with them until this was resolved. It took some convincing and a promise that Rick could stay with him through all the questioning but Daryl finally agreed.

 

“Hello Mr. Dixon, my name is Bob,” the Sheriff said as he extended his hand for Daryl to shake. He took note of how reluctant the boy seemed to be to shake his hand but he finally did. Bob sat down, making himself lower than Daryl to try to put the boy more at ease for his questioning.

 

“Daryl,” he said softly. His heart was racing and he felt sick to his stomach but he’d made a promise and he will follow through with it.

 

“Alright Daryl,” Bob smiled. “I need to ask you some questions about the things that happened today. Where were you when you were attacked at the school?”

 

“Coming out of Mr. Mamet’s class. He’s asked me to stay after the bell so he could talk to me.”

 

“What did you talk about?” Bob asked, trying to keep things in order so he can remember the most details.

 

“He wanted to tell me he was proud of me,” he blushed. It was bad enough to hear someone say it but for him to have to say it was embarrassing to him. “Said my grades and attitude had improved a lot and he wanted to tell me,” he shrugged, hissing as he jarred his injured shoulder.

 

Rick smiled at Daryl and squeezed his hand reassuringly from his seat next to the bed.

 

“That’s great,” Bob said excitedly trying to help the boy relax a little.

 

“When I walked out of the room something hit me in the back of the head, hard and I felt someone grab my arms and start dragging me. By the time I cleared my head enough to fight back I was in the boy’s locker room and they were holding me down while the other two were punching and kicking me. I eventually blacked out and when I came to, my belt was tied around me hands and I was hanging from a pipe in the shower, my feet barely touching the floor.”

 

“Were you able to see their faces?” Bob asked.

 

Daryl nodded but didn’t say anything.

 

“Do you know who they were?”

 

He squeezed Rick’s hand as a shiver ran through him. “I..What if they go after someone else if I tell?” his eyes darted to Rick for a moment then back to Bob.

 

“They will be in jail so you don’t have to worry about that,” Bob told him.

 

“Tell that bullshit to someone who don’t know better,” Daryl growled. “You may go arrest em as soon as you leave here but we both know they will be out in an hour and probably won’t even get a slap on the wrist for what they did! You want me to tell you the truth? Honesty is a two-way street, Bob.”

 

He was taken aback by Daryl’s outburst but he knew he was most likely right. “It’s sad to say that you are probably right about that. I can arrest them but I can’t control what the court system does but, you have an amazing lawyer here who can help there, where I can’t.”

 

“I will be at court with them Daryl and we will find a way to keep you and Rick safe. I don’t think you will have to worry about it again because there are more people than you can imagine who are mad about what happened to you. They are demanding some sort of action be taken against everyone who hurt you.”

 

He didn’t know what to think about that. Why did anyone care that he’d been hurt, they never had before? He looked at Rick, “This could affect you too so it’s not just my decision to make.”

 

Even through all of this Daryl was still thinking, worrying about him. “Tell him. The bastards need to be exposed.”

 

Daryl took a deep breath, “Phillip Blake, Nicholas Moore, Gareth Adams and Dwight Anderson.”

 

“Do you know which one filmed it?”

 

Daryl shook his head, “they were everywhere. Everything just happened so fast and they were everywhere.”

 

“It’s alright. You are doing great Daryl,” Bobby encouraged.

 

The questioning went on for over an hour about the attack at the school and what happened at home. Daryl told him everything he remembered and found out that someone placed an anonymous call to the police over what Will and his friends were doing to Daryl at the Dixon home. The police showed up complete with a SWAT team and arrested everyone there. Some of them were going to be put away for drug trafficking and others were charged for what they did to him.

 

Daryl was exhausted and he started fidgeting as the pain got worse. He tried to hide his discomfort because he wanted to do what Mr. Grimes and Sheriff Stookey needed him to do but it was getting harder to focus.

 

“I think he’s had enough for today,” Bobby said noticing Daryl’s state. “He’s exhausted and in a lot of pain.”

 

Bob nodded, “Thanks for your cooperation Daryl and if you think of any more details give me a call. I will send Ms. Williams by tomorrow to talk to you about how to proceed with your care.”

 

“My care?” Daryl swallowed hard.

 

“You’re a minor son, we have to have someone who will be responsible for you,” Bob explained. “A relative, a guardian, a foster, someone who will have your best interests in mind.”

 

Daryl turned panicked eyes to Bobby Grimes. This was exactly what he didn’t want! Bobby put a hand on his shoulder so he kept his mouth shut.

 

“I will be here when she arrives,” Mr. Grimes assured Bob. The men said their goodbyes and the Sheriff left.

 

Rick ran his fingers through Daryl’s hair, “you did so well. I’m so proud of you Daryl.”

 

“Doesn’t matter, they are still takin me away,” he whispered, eyes brimming with tears.

 

“What?” Rick asked, confused.

 

“Daryl I’m going to be here when Sasha arrives and I told you, she’s not going to take you anywhere. Just focus on getting better and rest alright?” He could still see the fear radiating off the boy and he didn’t know how to make him believe him. “Do you need something for the pain again?”

 

“No,” he shook his head trying to get the bed to swallow him up. There was no way with the broken arm and leg that he could curl into a ball.

 

“But you’re hurting and don’t tell me you’re not,” Rick fussed.

 

“I don’t like drugs,” he explained. “Don’t like how they make me feel.”

 

“But sometimes they are necessary,” Rick told him. “You’re hurting and you need them to help you rest. If you don’t rest you won’t heal.”

 

“But..” he argued.

 

“I will be right here with you, the entire time you’re asleep. I will watch over you, I promise.”

 

He was really hurting and the hospital wouldn’t give him anything it wasn’t ok to have, right? “Kay,” his voice was soft and reluctant.

 

Rick pushed the call button and told the nurse what Daryl needed. She was there within minutes and injected the pain meds into his IV before checking him over. Once she was satisfied everything was ok she left them alone.

 

Rick kissed Daryl’s head and stroked his hair until Daryl’s eyes slipped shut and he fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Daryl was nervously picking at the fuzz on the blanket when Bobby Grimes walked into his room. Rick who had stayed the night with him and was dozing in the chair woke up. “Hey, dad.”

 

“Son, Daryl,” he smiled. “How are you feeling today?”

 

“Fine,” Daryl said automatically. He blushed and looked down at his lap when Rick glared at him.

 

“He’s not ‘fine’,” Rick growled. “He had a very rough night and refused to take any more pain meds.”

 

“Daryl?” Bobby moved to the chair on the left side of the bed and sat down. “I thought we decided yesterday that it was ok to take the medication the doctor gives you.”

 

“I can deal with the pain,” he jutted his chin out proudly.

 

Rick sat up straight in his chair and placed his hand over Daryl’s. “You shouldn’t have to deal with it Daryl,” he sighed in frustration. They had this conversation twenty times throughout the night while Rick was practically begging him to take the meds. He knew Daryl was in pain no matter what he said and seeing him suffering needlessly was killing Rick. “I promise you I’m not going to let anyone hurt you again.”

 

“S’ not that,” he shook his head.

 

“Then what is it?” Bobby asked. He was concerned about the boy for several reasons. No one needed to suffer when there was something that could help and he was also concerned that Daryl might have PTSD or something like it after the ordeal he’d been, though. If he felt scared or worried that someone was going to come back after him then he would find a way to take precautions for that as well but he couldn’t do anything until he knew what was wrong.

 

“Nothin,” he said softly, squirming uncomfortably because both men’s attention was so focused on him.

 

“It’s something,” Bobby corrected.

 

“You can tell us, sweetheart,” Rick squeezed his hand.

 

“Someone from CPS is coming today and I can’t be all stoned and stuff when they get here.”

 

“I told you that I am going to look out for your best interests,” Bobby explained. “I know it’s not easy for you to trust people but I promise I would never let them take advantage of you.”

 

“It’s not that,” he shook his head. “Ya’ll have done right by me and you didn’t have to, no one else ever has but I this CPS worker knows I’m a Dixon. They will know my history, my family’s history and even though I am supposed to take these meds they will just say I’m abusing them cause of who I am.” Pain and lack of sleep meant that his frustration was starting to get the best of him. He knew they both meant well and wanted to help but what he didn’t get is why they didn’t get he wasn’t really someone who could ‘be’ helped. He was a Dixon, he was trash and destined to be a worthless druggie like the rest of his family.

 

“Daryl they..” Bobby stopped short at the look the boy had on his face and realized Daryl was speaking from past experience and not fear of what could be. “I’m sorry you have had such a crappy experience with the system. It’s not perfect by any means but it is really meant to help not cause more harm.”

 

“No offense Mr. Grimes, I know you believe that but I also know what happens to me when they get involved. Nothing good has ever come from it.”

 

“It will this time,” Rick said, adamantly and he really believed it.

 

Before he could respond there was a knock on the door and an African American woman walked in plopping and armload of paperwork on his bedside table. He watched her cautiously as she shook Bobby Grimes’ hand before turning to look at him.

 

“Hello Daryl my name is Sasha and I will be your CPS Caseworker.”

 

Before he even had a chance to respond she sat down on the side of his hospital bed like they had known each other forever. He looked over at Rick to see his reaction and it was the same as his own, confusion. The other boy just shrugged his shoulders.

 

“Ok I got your motions this morning Bobby and I don’t foresee any problems as long as Daryl is willing to concede to therapy sessions and is willing to work with us in finding his next of kin, besides Merle. There is no way the courts will grant custody to Merle, at least until he finishes in the military and proves he can stay out of trouble.”

 

“Ok I think that is doable,” Bobby nodded as he opened his briefcase and pulled out his own stack of papers. “Did you have any revisions?”

 

“No,” she shook her head and dug through the piles of papers. Finally finding the one she was looking for and pulling it out triumphantly. “Just need you to sign here, and here, “she pointed to the lines.

 

Bobby signed the documents and handed them back to her. He saw Daryl’s worried look and smiled at him reassuringly. “Sasha has agreed to let you stay with us until we can work everything out and find a stable place for you.”

 

“There are still a couple of things we need to talk about, though,” she turned her attention to the boy on the bed. I have been looking into your file and I see that you have an Aunt on your mom’s side that lives in California and an Uncle on your dad’s side that live just on the outskirts of town. Which would you prefer me to call first?”

 

“Call?” He asked, panic setting in.

 

“We need to start with discussing your options with your remaining family members. If they decide they do not want to take custody of you or my investigation deems them unfit to do so then we move to the next option,” she explained.

 

“State homes?” He trembled even thinking about it. He’d been in one once and it was the closest thing to a prison he ever wants to be in but the prospect of relatives was even scarier.

 

Aunt Connie, his mom’s sister, was just as bad an alcoholic as his mom had been and had a mean streak when it came to Daryl. She blamed him for her sister’s death always yelling at him that if he hadn’t been born then she would have left Will Dixon and still been alive. She started taking her anger out on him physically until they moved to California for her husband’s job.

 

Uncle Jess was his dad’s brother and Daryl’s memories of him weren’t bad but he stopped coming around when Daryl was about seven. He asked Merle why Uncle Jess never came around anymore and he told him that he told their dad he was disgusted with him and fed up with how he let his boys walk al over him. Jess said he wouldn’t be back until he had Daryl under control which it seemed was never because he’d never been back.

 

“Daryl?” Sasha asked, waiting for an answer.

 

“My Uncle Jess I guess,” he sighed. The truth was he didn’t want to see either of them but at least he’s in the same state. “But he don’t want nothing to do with me.”

 

“Bad history?” She wondered aloud.

 

He shrugged, “I’m gay and my family is a bunch of redneck assholes.”

 

She chuckled at his bluntness. “Ok, Dr. Dale Horvath will be by later this afternoon.”

 

 

“More doctors?” he whined and looked to Bobby for an explanation. He knew it wasn’t for the assault because they had already taken pictures of every part of his body and fussed at him for taking a shower and washing away the offender’s seamen.

 

“Dale is a psychiatrist,” Bobby explained and braced himself for the meltdown he knew was coming.

 

“I don’t need a psychiatrist! I ain’t crazy!” He was livid and hurt that they would think that of him. He thought Mr. Grimes had believed him but instead he just thought he was out of his mind and making it all up. Did Rick think the same thing? Tears fill his eyes and they only served to make him more upset because he felt so damn stupid. He tried to sit up and pain ripped through him causing him to cry out.

 

“Daryl,” Rick gasped and jumped to his feet at the same time his father and Sasha did. He put his hand on Daryl’s chest and pressed him back to the bed. “Stop before you hurt yourself worse.”

 

“No one think’s you’re crazy,” Bobby tried to soothe. “It’s nothing like that at all Daryl, I promise.”

 

“It’s something that is mandatory when it comes to this type of case,” Sasha explained hoping it would help.

 

Daryl continued to struggle to get up until he was in so much pain all he could do was collapse back onto the bed. He felt so vulnerable and exposed since he was not even able to turn over and hide his tears from them. All he could do was face them and he couldn’t stand it. He felt weaker than he ever had in his life.

 

Rick couldn’t stand it any longer and climbed into bed with Daryl, pulling the boy’s head so that it was resting in the crook of his neck and rubbed his arm and side. “Shh, it’s ok sweetheart just take some deep breaths. No one thinks you’re crazy and you know that. Dad and Sasha are doing everything they can to help but that means you are going to have to see this Dr. Horvath.” He kept up the soothing words and touches until Daryl’s breathing evened out and the sobbing turned into hiccupped gasps. Once he was sure Daryl was calm enough he moved so that he could look into the other boy’s red, puffy blue eyes. “Would you say that a soldier returning home from war was weak or crazy if he had to go talk to someone about what had happened to him over there?”

 

“N..No, ‘course not,” he sniffled.

 

“How about someone who’d been in a bad car accident?”

 

“No,” Daryl shook his head.

 

Rick wiped Daryl’s tears away with his thumb, “Then why does it make you weak? You’ve been through so much and never had anyone to talk to or to even show you love or compassion. You have been so strong, for so long and shut all that emotion and pain up inside that you need to talk to someone about it before it causes permanent damage to you.”

 

“Like what?” he asked, gazing into Rick’s eyes. His voice was soothing and having him lying next to him helped too.  

 

“Like closing yourself off to the world completely. Like not letting anyone near you, not letting anyone love you. You don’t trust people already and it’s understandable but what if you hadn’t let me in? I couldn’t imagine not being with you, Daryl. I can’t lose you.”

 

The thought of losing Rick made his heart clench and he grasped at him with his good hand. “Not gonna lose me, I promise. I don’t want to lose you either. I know everyone says they are trying to help but I’ve never had that before and I..” he didn’t know how to continue.

 

“It’s understandable that you have a problem trusting people Daryl,” Bobby said. “I am willing to try and earn your trust but you have to understand there are things like this that have to be done or they will not let me keep you at our house. If they think I can’t get you to do what is best for you, they will force you into a group home and do it there.”

 

“I’m sorry Mr. Grimes, I’ll be good I promise. Won’t be trouble no more,” he said quickly. “M’sorry for my outburst Ms. Sasha, please don’t make me go away,” he begged.

 

“I think you are with the people you need to be with,” she assured him. “But Bobby is right, there are going to be some things you might not like but you will have to do them. It’s the only way we can keep you safe. We aren’t going to let you fall through the cracks this time kiddo.” She patted him on the good leg, “I’ll be back to see you in a couple of days.” She waved goodbye as she walked out of the room.

 

Rick extracted himself from the bed but sat as close to Daryl as he could. He was afraid they would make him leave if they found him laying with Daryl while he was still in ICU. He took Daryl’s hand and kissed it as Bobby leaned on the opposite rail. “We are going to have a discussion about pain medication as well but I’m going to give you a little bit to calm down first.”

 

“Thanks, Mr. Grimes,” he said sheepishly.

 

“Daryl,” he waited until the boy was looking at him to continue. “Stop calling me Mr. Grimes. My name is Bobby, or pops or dad, whichever you prefer.” He reached over and mussed the boy's sandy brown hair and smiled.

 

“Yes, Mr. Grimes, umm Bobby,” he quickly corrected.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Dr. Horvath walked to the nurse’s station to get his patients file and speak with his nurse. Sara smiled when she saw the older man leaning against the counter. “Doctor, how are you today?”

 

“I’m just great Sara. How are the kids?”

 

“Good,” she beamed. “Growing like weeds, though. Before long they will both be taller than me!”

 

“What can you tell me about my patient? How does he react to new people?” he asked as they walked back to a small conference room.

 

“He’s jumpy, distrusting and scared but for what he’s been through he’s doing amazingly well. He is showing signs of PTSD and he’s refusing any sort of pain med, anti-anxiety or depression med. The only thing that seems to be able to calm him when he’s distraught is his friend Rick.”

 

Dale flipped through the boy’s file of information from Sasha and Mr. Grimes nodding his head. They exchanged a little more information before he headed off to Daryl’s room.

 

Bobby Grimes watched Daryl squirm trying to find a comfortable position on the bed. He sent Rick to school this morning and neither boy was happy about it but he knew he needed for Daryl to be alone when he saw Dr. Horvath and Rick needed some time away from the stress. Today was Friday and they would have the entire weekend together as soon as school was out but the look of pure misery on Daryl’s face was enough to make his heart ache. “It’s only a few hours and then he will be back.”

 

“It’s not that, I mean I miss him, yes but I’m worried about him. What if something happens and he gets hurt?” His heart started pounding and his breathing became labored.

 

“The school has increased security and there will be extra aids everywhere for a while. He’s safe there, I wouldn’t have sent him if I didn’t believe that,” he assured Daryl.

 

There was a knock on the door and an older white haired man stepped inside. “Hello, my name is Dale Horvath, you must be Daryl.” He took note of the panicked state the boy seemed to be struggling with.

 

Great! The shrink is here and he’s an emotional mess. Now he’s going to think he’s nuts. “Hi,” he sighed defeatedly.

 

“Gaging the eagerness of your greeting I guess you know why I am here,” he smiled. “I understand, most people don’t like me at first. I sort of grow on you, like fungus.”

 

Daryl couldn’t help the small grin at the bad joke. “I’m going to make you like me even less but I need to ask Mr. Grimes to step out while we talk.”

 

Daryl tensed as he shot a worried look at Bobby as he stood. “You’re in good hands, Daryl. I will be back as soon as Dr. Horvath is done.” He patted the boy’s shoulder and left the room, leaning against the wall as soon as he’d shut the door. He wanted to stay close in case Daryl completely freaked out. He knew he wouldn’t be able to calm him like Rick could but at least he would be a familiar face.

 

Dale sat down in one of the chairs and crossed his legs. “So, why do you think I’m here?”

 

“To talk to me about what happened and how it affected me,” he said clinically.

 

Dale shook his head, “yes, that’s exactly why I’m here but what I’d like is for you to tell me what you really think.”

 

“You don’t care about what I really think. All you want is to get the paperwork done to send back to the state so you can go play golf.”

 

“I do care what you think. If I was just here to write you off I wouldn’t have even asked. You obviously believe that I already have my mind made up about you so what difference will it make if you tell me?”

 

Daryl thought about it for a moment and really didn’t have a good argument. “I think the attorney for my father and his asshole buddies paid off someone who paid off someone else to have you sent here to declare me insane or come up with a reason I deserved what was done to me so nothing will happen to them and I end up locked away in some institution where I’m kept so drugged I piss and drool on myself and never even remember who I am.”

 

“You think Will Dixon has that sort of power?” Dale asked, curious.

 

“No,” Daryl shook his head. “He doesn’t but he has suppliers that do. They will do what they need to so that he can keep pushing their product. One worthless kid who nobody would miss anyway isn’t really a problem for them.”

 

“You think you’re worthless?”

 

“Don’t do that,” he snapped. “Don’t twist my words and use them against me.”

 

Dale held up his hands, “I didn’t twist anything. I just repeated what you said.”

 

“Fine,” he huffed. “That the kind of shit you want to hear? I am worthless. Made my mom kill herself because she was sick of having to take care of me. My brother was forced to keep me alive as a kid because out parents didn’t give a damn and he’s resented me for it every sense. My old man, yeah, he’s hated my guts since the day I was conceived. He beat the shit out of my mom several times trying to make her miscarry me and when that didn’t work he waited until I was born to try to do it to me in person. Apparently, he enjoyed the beating part because he stopped trying to outright kill me and started doing whatever would cause the most pain. Now the big question you people like to ask is, did I deserve it?” He shrugged with his good shoulder. “I’m a punk, never did anything good for anyone, never gave anything to my family so yeah maybe I should have died but why punish me? Why torture me so much? I was a baby when it started and what could a baby have done that was so bad?”

 

“Nothing,” was all he said because he didn’t want to stop Daryl’s forward motion in opening up.

 

“He was right, though, I should never have been born. I wasn’t meant to be a part of that family but I could never be a part of a normal family either,” he said absently. He started chewing on his thumbnail as he realized everything he’d said and risked a glance up at Dr. Horvath nervously. “Got enough to have me committed yet?”

 

Dale shook his head, “no but it does make me want to ask you something.”

 

Daryl huffed a humorless laugh, “yeah, what’s that?”

 

“Well in my line of work I see all kinds of cases. Some are really bad, others are false complaints of kids who’ve been punished by their parents and it pissed them off. I had the one, though, about a month ago and I still haven’t decided what to believe yet. There are parts to it that are similar to your story and parts that are just the opposite. Since you’ve been through this experience I was wondering if you would give me your opinion about it? I mean at least that way us sitting together won’t be a waste of our time right?”

 

Daryl was confused by the request and looked at Dale questioningly. “You mean you aren’t going to preach at me about my problems?”

 

“You already told me what you thought I would say so there is really no reason to say anything else is there?”

 

“Um, no, I guess not,” he chewed at his thumb again. This wasn’t how these visits normally went and it was throwing him off. Usually, the doctors demanded detail information and written notes on how he felt when he was being hit and how guilty he felt for his father getting in trouble but this doctor was nothing like that.

 

“This girl, she is fourteen, we will call her Sue for our conversation and she lives at home with both her parents. Her dad is an acute alcoholic who drinks himself into a stupor every night and has since Sue was born. He smacks her around some but for the most part, she’s learned to sit quietly in her room and not draw any attention to herself so she keeps out of trouble with him for the most part.”

 

Daryl, still biting at his thumb, thought that he could relate to Sue. She had her room to hide from her Dad and Daryl had spent his time hiding in his closet. “Sounds like a real dick,” he huffed around his thumb.

 

“For what it’s worth I agree but that’s not the part I need help on. You see her mom is one of the meanest people I have even seen in my life. I mean she is evil incarnate. The things she has done to Sue make my skin crawl. She’s whipped the skin off of her, left scars that will never fade and lets not even talk about the emotional and mental trauma.” He leaned forward and motioned with his hand to emphasize his point. “She even suffers from PTSD because her life has been so bad.”

 

“What’s not to understand about that? Her mother needs to be put away forever,” Daryl growled.

 

“Well, but here is my problem. Sue says that none of it is true. She said that she does bad things and is punished for them.”

 

“There is nothing she could do bad enough to be treated like that! How could you even believe that?” He was so angry he was indignant. “How can you say a kid deserves to be beaten and humiliated and tortured and told day in and day out that they don’t deserve to even live?” Daryl was so distraught and livid that he was shaking. He couldn’t believe this bastard was supposed to be a child advocate!

 

“I didn’t say it,” Dale said seriously, looking Daryl in the eyes, “but you did.”

 

“What? I never even met her, how could I have said anything about her?” This old man had lost his mind!

 

“No, but you said you deserved the things that happened to you. You said the reason your dad beat you and your mom killed herself was your fault for not doing enough for your family. You told the police last year when your father broke your collar bone that he did it because you weren’t a good son.” He saw the moment when it started to sink in reflect on Daryl’s face. “All I did was change the subjects of the story but everything that happened to ‘Sue’ was what happened to you.”

 

“You lied,” he accused. “You’re just like the rest of them.”

 

“I didn’t lie, I just changed the story around so you could see it from a different perspective. I want you to think about why you feel like what happened to you is your fault but when you thought it was someone else it was their parent’s fault.” Dale stood up from his chair, “Good talk Daryl. I will see you Monday afternoon.” With that, he left the room and shut the door.

 

“How’d it go?”

 

Dale spun around and saw Bobby Grimes standing next to the door to Daryl’s room. “Better than I expected from what I read in his file about past interactions with councilors. I expected him to be a violent, narcissistic, egomaniac who liked to over dramatize everything.”

 

“Huh? Who in the world would think that about Daryl?”

 

Dale pondered that for a moment and realized there was probably some truth to Daryl’s fears of corruption. “More people who wanted to take advantage of a venerable little boy who should have never stood a chance but is stronger than anyone ever gave him credit for,” he smiled.

 

“He’s been through so much,” Bobby shook his head, “is there any chance he’s going to be able to recover from it all?”

 

“I’m not going to tell you it will be easy but yes, I feel like he can. He just has to want to be ok and be willing to do what it takes to get there. It’s not going to happen overnight and it’s going to be rough but if anyone can do it, he can.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning : Homophobic slurs

Rick sunk down farther in the auditorium chair and rubbed at his temples. His head was pounding and he was pretty sure it might just explode in a macabre canvas of blood and brain matter. It physically hurt him to leave Daryl this morning but he knew his dad was right. It would just make things worse for them both if Rick didn’t go back to class. Will Dixon’s lawyers would probably say that Bobby Grimes couldn’t keep his own kid in school much less take care of Daryl too.

 

He and everyone else had to sit through a mandatory morning address from the principal about the additional rules and security measures the school had set up after ‘the unfortunate attack’ that took place at the school. That address was followed by the guidance counselors offering their services to anyone who needed to talk about their fears or lifestyle which wouldn’t have been a bad thing had it not been followed by a thirty-minute speech about how you shouldn’t have sex at school. He wanted to stand up and scream that Daryl didn’t ‘have sex’ he was fucking attacked and assaulted.

 

“Hey man, you look like you’re about to rupture a vein,” Shane said as he glanced to his left at his friend. He could see the pulse throbbing in his head and neck as blood rushed through the veins.

 

“Just don’t want to be here brother,” he sighed.

 

“Look, man, I know it’s hard but it will do you good to get back into the routine.”

 

Rick looked at Shane like he’d grown a second head. “This is not a routine I want,” he huffed.

 

“I just meant that it will help you to be around friends and get away from the madness that’s going on now.”

 

Wiping his hands over his face he tried to focus on the fact that Shane meant well even though it was coming out wrong. “I do wish things were back the way they were.”

 

Since he’d arrived on campus that morning he’d heard everyone talking about the video and rumors of who done it. Some of them were laughing about Daryl getting attacked while others were livid that someone was treated that way. Suddenly there were groups of students standing up proclaiming their homosexuality and others who were trying to transfer schools out of fear of having what happened to Daryl happen to them.

 

When they were finally allowed to go to class he had hoped the day would go by faster but he was wrong. The smaller environment just meant that he could feel everyone’s eyes on him silently questioning him about what he knew. He tried to ignore it, tried to focus on class work and when that didn’t help he thought about Daryl and how he just had to hold out a few more hours and Rick would be able to go back to him and make sure he was ok.

 

By the time lunch rolled around his nerves were shot and he just wanted to go somewhere and hide. As he was walking out of class toward the cafeteria one of the sophomores slammed into him nearly knocking him to the ground. “Watch where you’re going faggot!” the older boy snarled.

 

Rick bristled, his hands clenched into fists at his side but he remembered that his actions could affect what happened with Daryl and he just walked away letting the taunts that followed roll off his back as others pointed and laughed at him calling him a pussy for not standing up for himself.

 

Not even bothering to go through the line and get any food after he walked into the cafeteria, he just sat down at a table and took some deep calming breaths. He looked up when Shane and Lori sat their trays down next to him and took a seat.

 

Shane sat a bottle of water on the table in front of Rick. “Looks like your days not getting any better,” he sighed.

 

“It’s not,” Rick took a drink of the water then recapped the bottle. “Between people running their mouths and trying to pick fights,” his jaw flexed as he gritted his teeth.

 

“Who’s pickin’ fights with you?” Shane demanded around a mouth full of hamburger. “I’ll kick their ass!”

 

Rick had to chuckle at that because last year it was Rick kicking the crap out of a bully for Shane. “Believe me, I want to do it myself brother but I don’t want to cause any more issues then we are already having to deal with. I just want to know why it happened, why Daryl? He never did anything to anyone. There are a lot more openly gay people in this school, me included if it was about making a show of hurting a gay man.”

 

“I don’t think it was about him being gay,” Lori said.

 

“What do you mean?” Rick asked, curiously.

 

“Well I was over at Rhonda’s house the night it happened, Gareth is her brother, anyway, when he came home a couple other guys were with him. They were talking about how Merle was going to be impressed with them now and they were hopefully going to get in with his dad so they could start sellin’ and making some cash. He said he needed a hot car to impress a hot girl,” she smiled.

 

“Merle?” Rick asked.

 

“Hot girl?” Shane snapped, not liking the smile that crossed her lips at the mention of the hot car for a hot girl.

 

Rick punched Shane in the arm, “Damn it, focus!” Shane had the good sense to give him an apologetic look before Rick looked to Lori. “You mean they attacked Daryl so they could get in good with his old man?”

 

She shrugged, “That’s what he said.”

 

Rick jumped to his feet and started to leave the cafeteria so he could go to the office and call his dad when the sophomore from earlier stepped in his path. “Where do you think you’re going?” he snapped at Rick.

 

“Look, man, I don’t know what your problem is but now is not the time,” Rick explained as calmly as he could. He didn’t know the boy’s name but he knew he was a bench warmer on the football team that Rick was on.

 

“Oh, I think it’s long overdue Grimes.”

 

Rick saw three of the other football team members approaching and prepared himself for a fight but it didn’t happen. Instead, they stood beside him. Steve, the captain of the team pointed a finger at the other guy’s chest. “Jeff back off man.”

 

“You want this freshman, prick to be your backup quarterback? Ain’t you worried that he will be too busy checking out your ass to play?”

 

“Lot less worried about him checkin out my ass than I am about you being on my team,” Steve said.

 

“I don’t have time for this.” Rick rolled his eyes and started toward the door only to be shoved backward by Jeff. Regaining his footing he growled, “Don’t touch me!”

 

“What are you going to do about it?” Jeff laughed. He saw one of the teachers heading toward them so he shoved Rick again thinking the teacher would break them up before anything could happen. He was wrong.

 

Rick was pushed hard enough to send him careening into one of the other football players, Todd. It was a mistake Jeff was going to regret making. He jumped forward, fist flying through the air as he went until I connected with Jeff’s nose and blood spattered against his hand. Both boys went down in a heap, fists swinging. Rick had the upper hand until Shane pulled him off of Jeff. Jeff took the opportunity to do a dick move and bit his arm like a girl. Rick yelped and kicked out with his foot pushing Jeff's legs out from under him.

 

When the phone rang and he saw who was calling Bobby Grimes heart leaped into his throat. Did something happen to his son? What the hell was he thinking, sending him back to that place? To hell with school, he’ll home school him! Taking a deep breath he answered the call. Now he was walking through the front door of the High School and sighed for what had to be the twentieth time since he left the hospital. He found his way to the office and told the secretary who he was. She showed him into the principal’s office where Rick was waiting.

 

Principal Morgan Jones was leaning against his desk, arms crossed, glaring down at Rick when Bobby Grimes walked into his office. “Mr. Grimes, take a seat,” he said before moving to his own chair behind the desk. “We need to talk about your son’s anger issues.”

 

Bobby wasn’t sure he liked Mr. Jones’s tone. He ignored the man and looked at Rick. “Are you hurt son?” he asked. Taking Rick’s chin in his hand and turning his face so he could check him over.

 

“I’m fine, just got bit,” he held up his arm.

 

“Bit?” He glared at the principal, “My son got bit by another student and you want to talk to me about 'his' anger issues?”

 

“I don’t condone violence in my school of any kind Mr. Grimes but Rick should have chosen to walk away. Instead, he fought with the other boy.”

 

“Rick?” He wanted his son’s side of the story.

 

Before he could answer his dad principal Jones spoke again. “I know things are hard for him right now with his ‘special’ friend in the hospital but you really need to get the boy some counseling.”

 

Bobby grabbed Rick’s arm in a tight grip to stop the comment he knew was coming. “Rick, let’s go," he stood pulling him to his feet. "Mr. Jones, you will be getting some paperwork from our attorney.” He dragged his son from the room and walked out, not stopping until they were both in the car.

 

“Dad?” he’d never seen his father react like that. There was almost no talking before he said the word attorney and as an attorney Bobby Grimes didn’t use that word often in their personal lives.

 

“Don’t,” he gritted out, trying to get his anger under control before he talked to Rick.

 

Guilt flooded Rick and his stomach twisted in knots. Everything his father was doing to help him, to help Daryl and he, was causing more trouble? How could he be so stupid and childish? They sat in silence, tense for Rick but calming for Bobby who didn’t realize that Rick was upset.

 

Bobby pulled into the hospital car park and shut the car off before turning to talk to Rick, finally calm enough to do so without snapping at the boy for something that wasn’t his fault. He noticed the tears in Rick’s eyes, the way he chewed on his bottom lip nervously and the guilty look on his face. “Rick?”

 

“M’sorry dad,” he said softly as he kept his gaze out the window unable to meet his father’s eyes. “I know how much you’re doing for me already. All the added pressure Daryl and I have put on you and mom and I didn’t mean to make it even worse. Mr. Jones was right. I should have just taken it and walked away.”

 

“Did you start the fight?”

 

“No, but,”

 

“Did he put hands on you first?”

 

“Yeah, he pushed me twice but still I should have just taken it.”

 

“So someone pushed you, twice, and I am going to assume there was some sort of argument that led up to the pushing but you should have just walked away? Rick, I know you well enough to know what you would have walked away if you could have. As far as you thinking you and Daryl are putting pressure on me and your mom, son, that’s the farthest thing from the truth. We are glad we can help Daryl regardless of his relationship with you. The people who hurt him need to pay for what they did and I took that on myself, you didn’t put it on me.”

 

He risked looking into his father’s eyes and saw the truth there. “But you were angry when we left the school.”

 

“Yes and I still am but I calmed down on the drive here. I’m pissed at Mr. Jones’s attitude about the situation. Did he ever ask you what happened?”

 

“No sir,” he shook his head.

 

“And were the other boy’s parents called?”

 

“Not that I know of. He wasn’t brought to the office with me but I did bloody his nose and bust his lip.”

 

Bobby arched his brow, “guess those self-defense classes paid off huh?” Both of them laughed. “Come on, got a surprise for you,” he said as they got out of the car.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> loving fluff and did I mention fluff??

After Dr. Horvath left the medical doctor who’d performed his surgeries came by and gave him the all clear to be moved into a normal room. They had just got him into the new room when Mr. Grimes got a phone call and had to leave.

 

He was sitting in bed flipping channels on the TV when someone knocked on his door. “Mr. Dixon?”

 

“Yeah,” he said, cautiously.

 

“Hi, my name is Tara and I will be your nurse for the rest of the night.” She came over and checked his IV and took his vitals. “How about we get you a bath?”

 

He looked down at his casts, “How?” It dawned on him before she answered. “No! No one is giving me a friggin sponge bath! No touching me!”

 

“Calm down sir,” she soothed. “I won’t be doing much touching at all. I will help soap and rinse the washcloth’s and turn my back while you wash yourself. I will have to change your bandages, though.”

 

He gave her a wary look. “No touching me other than changing bandages?”

 

“No sir,” she smiled. He really did want a bath, he felt disgusting. “Fine, I guess.”

 

Tara smiled at him and went to gather her supplies. Once she had everything together she returned to the room, closed the door and pulled the curtain. Noticing how he tensed she explained, “in case someone opens the door without knocking the curtain will block their view. I promise the door is not locked.”

 

“Kay,” he sighed and chewed at his thumb nervously.

 

“Ok hold on to your sheet and I am going to pull this gown off of you.” She unsnapped the sleeve around his arm cast then tugged it free while he kept himself covered with the sheet. Keeping her touches clinical she put a cloth into the water and soaped it before handing it to him and turning her back as she promised even though he was just washing his face and arms first.

 

The fresh, clean smell of the soap hit his nose and he inhaled as deep as he dared with bruised ribs. Watching closely as Tara soaped a cloth and handed it to him. He was surprised to see her turn her back as promised and he relaxed a fraction. The warm cloth felt good to his face and neck as he scrubbed. He was careful not to get the cast on his left arm wet. “Um, can you rinse it?”

 

“Sure,” she smiled. “Is it ok to turn around again?”

 

“Yeah,” he nodded.

 

They continued the process until he was clean all over though he still blushed furiously when he cleaned private areas. She shampooed his hair with some weird no rinse, no water shampoo that amazed the hell out of him. He didn’t understand how it worked and didn’t know if it was made of magic or evil but it felt good. Once that was all done she helped him set up. “Can you stay like the while I change the bandages on your back”

 

“Yeah.”

She removed the old bandages on his back where he’d been burned and cleaned the wounds before replacing them with fresh gauze. “Ok let’s get you back against the pillows now.” She helped him lean back and put a pillow under his arm to help him get more comfortable.

 

When she removed the bandages on his lower stomach anger and disgust shot through her though she kept a smile on her face the whole time, never letting on that the sight of the injury made her want to scream. How could anyone carve the word whore so deeply into someone? It would scar without a doubt. It took a little longer to clean the wounds because they were so deep and rough. “This will probably sting but we don’t want to get an infection so I have to use it.”

 

He nodded and took a deep breath as she cleaned the wounds with a few different liquids. He hissed a couple of times at the burn but he stayed quiet for the most part. Years of conditioned response made sure he could control his vocal reaction to pain. He looked down at the word etched into his flesh and cringed. One more gift his father left him. He never thought of himself as handsome but now he was disgusting. He couldn’t look at it anymore and focused on the tile ceiling until Tara was finished.

 

She reached over and pulled up another hospital gown. “Let’s get this on.”

 

“Can’t I have pajamas?”

 

“Sorry dear,” she shook her head. “For now, we need to keep you in one of these but when you are healed a bit more we can get you some sleep pants and cut the leg off for you.”

 

He sighed but let her fix the snaps on his casted arm then he slipped his other arm in and leaned forward so she could tie it. “Can I at least have my boxers?” he blushed.

 

Again she shook her head no. “Sorry buddy.” She laid him back and put the head of the bed down. “I’m going to roll you around a little bit while I change your bed.”

 

“How are you going to do that when you won’t let me up?”

 

“Like this,” she smiled. He gasped when she rolled him onto his side but was thoroughly impressed at how she managed to change the sheets with him still in the bed and never cause him any more pain than he was already in. When she was done she wrapped the warmed blanket around him he sighed contentedly and sunk deeper against the pillows. The bath wore him out and his eyes slipped closed before Tara ever left the room.

 

Rick was practically bouncing by the time they made it up to Daryl’s new room, both his and Bobby’s arms weighted down with bags. Now that Daryl was out of ICU he could bring him gifts and stuff. He stepped through the door with a huge grin on his face. Daryl was cuddled under a blanket asleep. He looked so small in the hospital bed that it shocked Rick for a moment. He knew the boy was too skinny but he hadn’t noticed how bad he looked until now. He was spurred into action when Daryl began whimpering and tossing his head from side to side in the throws of a nightmare.

 

Rick out his bags down before sitting on the side of the bed and running his fingers through Daryl’s hair. He noticed his hair was wet and Daryl smell of soap. “Shhhh,” he soothed. “It’s ok, you’re just dreaming.”

 

Bobby sat his bags down and lowered himself into a chair as he watched his son try to calm the sleeping boy. Rick amazed him in many ways but his love and compassion always left Bobby speechless and proud.

 

Daryl went from whimpering to almost yelping as he thrashed in his sleep. “No.. no don’t!”

 

“Daryl,” Rick said, his voice firm and louder.

 

“No!” Daryl jerked awake and looked around with panicked eyes. He saw Rick and gave him a pleading look.

 

Rick smiled and repositioned himself so that he was laying on top of the blanket next to Daryl. “It was just a dream sweetheart. I’ve got you.”

 

Daryl turned the best he could and buried his face against Rick’s neck. It took him a few minutes to wake up enough to form a cognitive thought. “Time is it?”

 

“It’s just one o’clock,” he said rubbing his back.

 

Daryl moved his head back far enough to look at him. “Are you alright? You should still be in school. Did something happen? Did someone hurt you?” he fretted.

 

“I’m fine Daryl,” he soothed.

 

“He’d fine,” Bobby confirmed. “I went and picked him up because some idiot on the football team bit his arm. I swear some of those kids are rabid.” He was trying to play off the fight so he didn’t stress him any more than he already was. “If you ask me that coach of yours doesn’t make all of them wear helmets when they play,” he said, looking at Rick.

 

Rick laughed out loud at that and so did Daryl. “Well, there are a few people I’ve wondered about myself,” Rick admitted. He kissed Daryl’s head and smiled, “ok I have to know how they got you into a shower with all the casts on different sides of your body.”

 

He blushed and fiddled with a button on Rick’s shirt. “Didn’t. I cleaned up in bed and the nurse changed the sheets with me still in it.” He was still amazed by that and the magic/evil shampoo.

 

Bobby laughed at the magic/evil shampoo story and shook his head. He had been pondering sharing the new information that Rick found out today with Daryl because he knew in a round-about way it would help him to know why the attack happened but he needed to be positive first so he had asked Rick to give him time to check it out before he said anything. “So, since you are in a real room now Rick decided that you needed a few things to make you more comfortable.”

 

Daryl arched a brow and looked up at Rick. What could he need? He has a bed and they bring him food three times a day. It’s more than he had at home. “Comfortable?”

 

“Yeah,” Rick sat up excitedly and gathered the bags closer to him. He raised the head of the bed and helped make Daryl more comfortable before putting one of the bags in his lap.

 

Daryl fidgeted uncomfortably. He’d never been given a gift before and he wasn’t sure how to act. At Rick’s encouragement, he opened the plastic sack and pulled out several magazines and a couple of books on hunting and music that he liked. He smiled happily and started thumbing through one of them. “Thanks! I’ve never had a book on deer hunting before!”

 

Bobby slipped the book from his hand and gathered everything up sitting them on his tray table. When he saw Daryl’s confused look he laughed. “You’re not done.”

 

Daryl watched as Rick sat another bag down in his lap. “More?”

 

“Yep,” Rick nodded, goofy grin spread across his face.

 

He opened the new bag and pulled out a sketch pad, a pack of markers and colored pencils and he looked at Rick questioningly.

 

“I’ve seen your doodles in your notebooks man. You’re a good artist so I thought it was time you got something to practice with,” he explained.

 

“Y..you think I’m good?” No one had ever told him he was good at anything before much less said he needed to do more of it.

 

Rick nodded, “Wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”

 

Bobby saw the way they were looking at each other and knew a kiss was about to happen so he took the supplies from Daryl and sat them on the table breaking the moment. The both blushed but Rick shot an indignant look at Bobby that make him laugh. “More,” he smirked.

 

By the time Daryl had opened all the bags he had books, magazines, art supplies, snacks, new pajamas, a stuffed, light brown bear with a leather jacket and bright blue eyes. “Rick thank you. I.. I can’t believe you got me all this stuff. I promise I will get a job as soon as I get out of here and pay you back.” He swallowed past the lump in his throat and blinked to try and hold back the tears. He felt like such a girl getting all emotional.

 

“Um no you won’t either,” he said sternly. “These are gifts. Gifts are something you give, not loan or do as a favor. I got them because I wanted you to have them.”

 

“But,”

 

“No arguments,” Bobby added. “You better get used to this kind of treatment because it’s a part of learning to let someone love you.”

 

“Y..you know he loves me?” his voice carried a panicked tone. Rick had told him his parents were ok with them being together but it still caused fear to dart up his spine.

 

Bobby arched his brow and looked at the boy. “Of course, we know. Anyone who sees the two of you together can see how much you love each other and that’s a good thing.” He saw Daryl chewing on his thumb and realized when Rick told him that Daryl was afraid of what he and his mom thought about them being together that he was telling the truth. Bobby leaned forward in his chair, “Daryl you know that we are fine with that right? All Molly and I want is for Rick and you to be happy.”

 

He relaxed a little at that but still chewed nervously at the abused flesh. “But he’s with me,” he said like it explained everything.

 

“Yes, he is,” Bobby smiled. “I am glad he found someone who’s worthy of his affection.” He watched as his words sunk in and Daryl’s eyes got wider.

 

Rick kissed Daryl’s temple and whispered, “Told you, sweetheart. It’s fine.”

 

Bobby sat a bag in Daryl’s lap this time. “This is from Molly and I.”

 

“But,” Daryl sniffled. It was too much and he was starting to feel overwhelmed. At Rick’s encouragement, he opened the bag and pulled out a box. It was a cell phone. “I..I can’t accept this. It’s too much,” he insisted.

 

“Yes you can and it’s not too much. I didn’t go buy you an iPhone or anything,” he laughed. “We just wanted you to have a phone in case you needed to get a hold of one of us or there is someone you want to text or something. Rick will help you program it and put all of our numbers in there for you.” He shook a finger at Daryl, “that works two ways. If we need to get a hold of you then we can.”

 

He didn’t know why anyone would want to get a hold of him for anything but he would be glad to hear from them. His heart felt warm and he felt sort of fuzzy all over. “Thank you, Mr. Grimes.” He saw Bobby’s look and quickly corrected himself, “Bobby.”

 

“That’s better,” he chuckled. “Now, one more and no complaining young man,” he tutted as he sat the last bag in his lap.

 

He pulled out a box that looked sort of like another cell phone but it said PlayStation Vita on it. “Umm. Thank you?”

 

Rick chuckled. Daryl had no idea what it was. “It’s a handheld gaming system!” he smiled and started telling him about all the games that they could play and how they would be able to play together when Rick was on his.

 

“Wait, those things are crazy expensive! I can’t!”

 

“Stop it,” Molly Grimes shushed as she stepped through the door. She’d heard part of the conversation before she entered. Dressed in her scrubs, ready for her shift she’d made sure to get there early enough to stop in and see Daryl and check on Rick. “We wanted to get it for you and it’s not polite to argue,” she scolded gently before walking over and pulling him into a hug. She was surprised when he hugged her back almost clinging to her. “It’s about time someone spoiled you, kiddo,” she said softly as she rocked him gently.

 

He took in a shaky breath not understanding why they would treat him like this because he was still Daryl Dixon and he didn’t deserve it. He was really confused about the feelings he was having and it was overwhelming. He felt Rick tug him closer and he was grateful for the comfort as he rested his head on his shoulder as he listened to everyone talking.


	11. Chapter 11

A couple of days had passed since Daryl had been moved into a regular room from ICU and the Grimes family had continued to spoil him. Today he was alone for a little while because Bobby Grimes had to go to a few meetings, one of them being the school board, and Rick had to go with him. It didn’t bother him to be alone exactly but he was nervous because the Social worker Sasha was coming today and so was Dr. Horvath. He worried about what both of those meetings would bring about because well, when did that stuff ever go right for a Dixon. The first time had to be a fluke.

He picked up his game and started playing. Rick had shown him some stuff on it last night and he really likes it. Daryl was lost in the game and jumped when his cell phone made a loud beep. He recognized it from when Rick set the phone up. It was the sound for a text from Rick. He picked it up and switched it on.

Rick: Ugh, boring ass meetings. How are you doin’?  
Daryl: Fine. Hard to play game with cast.  
Rick: big baby ;)  
Daryl: why ain’t there a middle finger emoji?  
Rick: there is  
Daryl: WHERE  
Rick: I’m not telling  
Daryl: Why??  
Rick: search for it  
Daryl: Don’t know where to look on this thing  
Rick: that’s the point sweetheart lol you have to look through the phone and learn it to find it.  
Daryl: Don’t wanna. You tell me  
Rick: Nope  
Daryl: But I’m injured and in the hospital and you need to be nice to me.  
Rick: aww  
Daryl: :(  
Rick: _middle finger emoji_  
Daryl: you fucker! Where is it?  
Rick: LOL  
Daryl: _angry Emoji_ _cast emoji_ _hospital emoji_  
Rick: Poor baby. Want me to kiss it better?  
Daryl: I got something you can kiss alright  
Rick: _kissy face emoji_  
Daryl: I’m tellin your mom  
Rick: brat!  
Daryl: _innocent emoji_  
Rick: LMAO  
Daryl: what?  
Rick: _middle finger emoji_  
Daryl: Bastard! Gotta go. Sasha is here. Yay….

Sasha walked into the room. “You look better than the first time I saw you.”

“Feel better,” Daryl said.

Dr. Horvath walked into the room. “Hi, Daryl. Sasha.” He moved to take the seat Sasha wasn’t in.

Daryl got an uneasy feeling in his stomach when he realized they knew each other. “What is going on? Why are you both here together?”

“I asked Dr. Horvath to come early because I need to talk to you about some things that might be pretty tough for you.”

“Like what?”

“There are detectives outside and they need to talk to you about some stuff,” Sasha eased.

“It’s on video why do I need to tell them anything?” He said softly. He didn’t want to do this.

“It’s not only about what happened at the School. They have questions about what happened with your father,” Dale explained.

“Do I have to?” Daryl felt like he was going to throw up.

Sasha patted his hand. “You don’t have to no but it would go a long way to help with the case against your father and the men who did this.”

“You don’t know what you’re asking,” his voice shook. “They are going to get away with it and when they get out they will come after me.”

“We are going to do everything in our power to keep that from happening,” Sasha tried to reassure him. “If for some reason something happens and they are not convicted then we will take you somewhere safe.”

“What about the people helping me? You gonna go somewhere safe? The Grimes family gonna pull up stakes and go to some safe house?” Neither of them said anything and he sighed. “That’s what I thought. Get out, just leave me alone.”

“Daryl,” Sasha tried but he cut her off.

“No! I’m done talking. Both of you get out now!” He was starting to hyperventilate and tremble.

Sasha gathered her things and stepped out so he could calm down. Dale stood and approached him, “Just calm down son. We’ll go but I need to make sure you’re ok first.”

“No, get away from me,” he growled. When Dale didn’t move Daryl moved to get out of the bed.

“Daryl don’t!” Daryl reached out to stop him but was too late.

Daryl stood and tried to hop on his good leg. The weight of the casts and his other injuries were too much and he passed out hitting the tray table and a chair on his way down.

“Damn it!” Dale pushed the call button and told the nurse what happened.

“Can’t you go any faster?” Rick asked his father, his knee bouncing as he chewed his lip.

“Clam down Rick, he’s in good hands,” Bobby told him. He’d just gotten a call about an incident at the hospital with Daryl.

“Is that why he’s hurt again?” Rick snapped. “We shouldn’t have left him. I don’t care about the stupid school board!”

“You know why you had to come with me today son. You had to be the one to tell the police what you found out about why the boys attacked Daryl. We had no way of knowing he would get hurt today. You don’t think I would have left him if I had known this would happen do you?”

“No.” Rick looked down at his lap. He knew his parents cared about Daryl but damn it he loved him and he didn’t have to be reasonable and level headed.

As soon as Bobby pulled the car to a stop in the parking garage Rick jumped out and ran. He bounced in place waiting for the elevator and cursed not having teleport technology already. According to the cartoons he used to watch cars should fly, houses should be on lifts up in the sky and they should be able to teleport anywhere by now for fuck sakes. When he finally made it to Daryl’s room there were still several nurses with him. “Daryl?” He rushed over to the bed, squeezing between them.

“Honey, he’s been sedated,” one of them explained.

“Daryl,” Rick said again not taking their word for it. He took Daryl’s hand in his and looked him over. There were new bruises, a few cuts and a big knot on his head.

Bobby finally made it up to the room. When he walked in he walked straight to the bed and saw Daryl’s condition. “What the hell happened here?”

“I will go get Dr. Horvath,” one of the younger nurses said. “He will be able to explain.”

Everyone else cleared the room. Rick had tears in his eyes as he leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Daryl’s head. Dale knocked on the door, “Mr. Grimes?”

“Dr. Horvath. What happened here? You told me that you and Sash were going to discuss the fact that you reached his Uncle Jess.”

“We didn’t get to that part. The police were here and they wanted to talk to him about his father. He got upset and didn’t want to.”

“You know how he feels about that, Sasha does as well. Why would you push him?”  Bobby asked. He wasn’t happy at all.

“He told us his fears about talking to the police and the more he spoke the more upset he got. I was trying to calm him down when he got up and tried to hop away.” Dale told him.

“Got up?” Rick growled. “You let him get up?”

“I tried to stop him,” he said defensively. 

“It shouldn’t have happened,” Bobby admonished. “No more visits unless one of us are with him.”

Dale nodded. “Understood, and I am sorry this happened.” He left them alone with Daryl.

Andy sat down on the side of the bed and stroked the back of his fingers over Daryl’s cheek. “Please be ok,” he whispered.

“He caused a little more injury to himself but nothing that won’t heal,” Dr. Denise Cloy said as she entered the room. “He was in a lot of pain from the fall and he was having a major panic attack so he’s got some pretty good meds in his system right now which is why he’s not stirring when you touch him or call to him,” she explained to Rick. She could see how distraught he was and wanted to try and offer him some comfort.

Denise turned to Bobby. “I understand you are his guardian.”

“Yes,” he replied as he shook her hand.

“I’m sure you know there was a reason we hadn’t let him up yet. His body isn’t healed enough. He’s a strong kid and he pushes through pain like no one I’ve ever seen before but his body has gone as far as it’s going to until it heals.”

“You said there were some new injuries? Did he hurt any existing ones?” Bobby asked.

“He aggravated the others. His arm and leg were jarred and slammed around and his ribs took another hit. We will have to we will have to x-ray him again to see if anything was displaced bone wise. He’s got a pretty good bump on his head his nose will be sore I’m sure.” She pauses for a moment pondering if she should ask or not but decides she needs to. “His scans show a lot of old injuries. Things that are usually only seen in POW’s and he’s far too young for that.”

“You can tell that from scans?”  Rick asked.

“Some of it yes, every healed break or fracture of a bone leaves a scar of sorts and his scans show a lot of scars.” He clasped her hands together nervously. “I understand that it would be hard for him to talk about it and especially to a stranger but if you can coax him into talking about it maybe it would help him deal with it.” She smiled at them both. “Anyway, if you need anything just give me a call. I’ll be back to check on him a little later.” They thanked her as she left, both of them considering the ramifications of her findings and what it meant had happed to Daryl as a child. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description on injuries

Daryl’s mind swam slowly to consciousness and he instantly regretted it. He idly wondered if anyone got the licenses plate of the truck that hit him. “Ugh,” he groaned as he blinked his eyes open.

 

“Easy now,” Bobby Grimes said as he rose from his chair and went to Daryl’s side. “How are you feeling.”

 

“Hurts,” he whimpered.

 

“Because you got up and tried to walk away,” Rick said as he rose from his makeshift bed and moved to Daryl’s other side. “You tried to run away Daryl.” Rick’s voice held a stern tone but there were hints of disappointment as well.

 

Daryl’s heart clinched. He hadn’t meant to hurt Rick but after realizing what could happen to Rick and his family if he stayed with them, his mind was made up. He would do whatever it took to protect them even if that meant leaving. “M’sorry,” he said softly as he chewed at his busted lip.

 

“I’m not sure this is the right time for this conversation,” Bobby tried to intercede. He knew Rick was upset and Daryl was still scared and fragile.

 

“No,” Rick snapped sending a sharp look to his father before turning back to Daryl. “You tried to run away Daryl and I want to know why.”

 

Daryl squirmed. He had hoped that he could spend a little more time in Rick’s arms before he had to do this but he was a Dixon so he should have known better. Daryl thought about the love and compassion Rick had given him and he knew he owed him the truth. “I can never repay what you and your family have done for me, Rick.”

 

“None of what we’ve done was meant to be repaid,” Rick sighed. “What is going on? I know something is wrong, something new that didn’t start until today.”

Damn Rick and his perceptiveness when it came to Daryl. It was like he could read his emotions no matter how much Daryl tried to hide them. “I realized that I am only putting you and your family in danger by being around.”

 

“No, don’t even think about that,” Bobby said.

 

“I have too.” Daryl was fighting tears. His heart was breaking because he had to say goodbye to the only people who ever gave a shit about him. He should have never let them in, to begin with, and then he would have to go through this. “When Sasha told me the police wanted to talk to me about what my Pa has done to me in the past I realized something. No matter what happens he’s most likely going to avoid jail time.”

 

“How would he not be put in jail after what he did?” Rick asked, incredulously.

 

“Because he never has.” He answered simply. “I’m sure you know it’s not the first time he hit me and It was reported before by some teachers. He was arrested, came home the same night after bonding out and nearly beat me to death. It was the one time my mom tried to step in and he blacked her eye and broke her wrist for her trouble.” A tear slid down his cheek and he choked up as he continued his story. “Merle he even tried to stop him. I was just a little kid and I think Merle was in middle school. He tried to step in and tried to stop Pa, to protect me and mom but Pa was strong. Pa used a belt and whipped the skin off of him. It wasn’t long after that Merle started doing drugs. If he was wasted he didn’t care what happened and he didn’t have to face it.”

 

The guilt Daryl felt was palpable in the air. “None of that is your fault, Daryl. You have to know that,” Bobby said as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “The only person to blame for what happened is your father.”

 

“Maybe,” Daryl shrugged. “But it only proves my point. After all of that, the only thing they did to him was fine him. Whatever happens, he will come back and make me pay and they only way he can do that is to hurt people I care about. Was never a problem before cause I was always alone but now,” he looked at them both. His eyes rested on Rick, “I have people I care about and he will hurt me through you. I won’t let that happen even if it means losing the only person I have ever loved.”

 

“I can’t imagine how hard this is for you or how hard your life has really been Daryl but you have to trust me. I would never put my family in danger, for any reason and you know that. Rick and Molly are my life and I would die without them.” He looked up at his son with loving eyes before looking back at the broken boy in the bed. “You have to understand Daryl I am an attorney. I am used to dealing with people like your father. The monsters of the world who pass through the court system are in jail because someone, myself and a few others in this town, put them there. Do you think I haven’t been threatened? My family hasn’t been threatened before?”

 

Daryl used his good hand to wipe at the tears on his face. “S’differen’t,” he sniffled. “That’s cause of you. This is cause of me.”

 

“It’s also because of me because regardless of the fact that you are the one these things happened to, I am the one who will be taking all of them to court. Whether you knew Rick or not has no bearing on that at all. I would be the one working this case even if it didn’t involve you so your theory about you being the one putting us in danger is wrong. If you want to look at it from a blame perspective it would be on me,” Bobby explained.

 

“You can’t take all the bad in the world on to yourself Daryl,” Rick said. He wiped at Daryl’s tears with his thumb. “I know you are convinced that the things that happened to you are your fault and I will eventually get you to realize that’s not true but for right now you need to stop this. Me, my family, we decide what we can deal with safely and we are the only ones who have the right to choose what happens. It’s not up to you or your father whose side I get to be on.” He ran a hand through Daryl’s hair and clenched a fist full in a tight grip. The pull was enough to cause a little discomfort and Daryl’s eyes shot to his. “If you run away Daryl Dixon I will follow you. I don’t care where you go or how long it takes me I will not stop until I find you. Now ask yourself this, do you want me to be out there alone, searching for you? Or would you rather stay here so we can all stick together in this fight and watch each other’s backs?”

 

Daryl pressed his head against Rick’s. Everything they were saying made sense but he didn’t understand. Why were they willing to do this for him? It was too much to process and he was hurting so bad that he couldn’t focus. He hadn’t expected the broken sob that escaped him nor the others that followed, wracking his body with their force.

 

Rick jumped when Daryl sobbed, the sound so hollow and desperate that it brought tears to his own eyes. He shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it to the chair then tugged the covers aside and sat down next to Daryl. He grabbed the weeping boy under the arms and as carefully as he could, pulled the trembling body until Daryl was resting half on top of him. He pressed Daryl’s head against the juncture of his neck and shoulder and laid back with him.

 

Daryl whimpered and cuddled against Rick, grateful for the comfort. He squeaked when Rick laid them back and the covers slipped low on his body. His face and down his neck blushed bright red as he remembered he had nothing on below the waist. He tried to reach back and grab at the sheet but Rick stopped him with a gentle swat to his nearly exposed backside. Daryl drew in a sharp breath and pressed closer to his boyfriend.

 

Rick felt Daryl struggling to reach for the covers with his bad arm and he knows Daryl was causing himself more pain. He hadn’t consciously intended to swat the struggling boy but he did and it seemed to work because Daryl stopped reaching and collapsed against him, hiccupping as he tried to breathe between sobs. “I’ve got you sweetheart just relax,” he cooed.

 

“Don’t got nothing on,” Daryl whispered against his neck, still blushing.

 

Of course, Rick’s body reacted to that combined with the pressure of Daryl’s leg that was resting between his own. He knew Daryl could feel it but he didn’t say anything so Rick didn’t make any attempt to even hide it. Instead, he adjusted the sheet and blanket then slipped his hand below them to rest on the rise of his hip, thumb stroking the bare skin there. “You need to slow your breathing babe. Take a deep breath with me.”

 

Bobby, who called for a nurse as soon as Daryl started to cry, stood and watched the interaction between the boys. He wished he could calm both their fears but he didn’t have a magic wand. Daryl was right, it was not going to be easy. He was confident that they would make it through this though and he had already started to take precautions through his office when this case first came to him. When Rick pulled Daryl against him and the cover slipped down Bobby’s heart dropped to his stomach when he saw the state of Daryl’s back. The scars were like a topographical map with scars rising, red and angry against the pale skin.

 

Tara walked into the room. “Mr. Dixon I have some medication for you,” she smiled. When he started to move she stopped him. “It goes in the IV. You are just fine where you are kiddo.” She wiped the connector of the IV with and alcohol wipe then stuck the syringe in plunging the liquid in slowly. “There is something for your pain and also something to help calm you down. Have you ever had anxiety attacks before?”

 

“No ma’am,” he hiccupped. His tears were staining Rick’s shirt.

 

“When you start feeling panicked, scared, short of breath anything like that just press the call button and we will bring you something to help ok?”

 

“We will,” Rick answered for him. He intended to make sure that Daryl didn’t suffer by not taking the meds he needed.

 

“Thank you,” Daryl mumbled, as his eyes started to roll back in his head. The medication flowed through his veins and caused every muscle in his body to relax. It was only a moment before he was asleep.

 

“Is this going to be a problem for his leg?” Rick asked, meaning the position Daryl was in.

 

Tara smiled and put her hand on his shoulder. “No, he will be fine like that for a while but there are a couple of things I need you to watch out for. This bandage on his back,” she pointed to the one along Daryl’s spine. “Make sure he doesn’t squirm around on those too much. There are a couple on his bottom as well and you might just be able to help me keep him off of them some.” She knew Rick needed to feel like he was doing something helpful for Daryl. “Last, the one on his lower abdomen, he needs to be careful and not pull or rub that one too much because it’s the deepest of the wounds.”

 

“What are they?” Rick asked with tears in his eyes.

 

Tara looked over at Bobby for permission to answer the boy. “He knows what happened to Daryl,” Mr. Grimes explained to her. “He just doesn’t know which wound is which. It’s not something that Daryl would get upset about him being told.”

 

Tara nodded, she didn’t envy Mr. Grimes position at all. “There are four burns covered by the bandage on his back.”

 

“The ring?’ Rick asked his dad. When they were told about Daryl’s injuries they told them about the ring of Will Dixon, big, round, and silver. They had held it with a pair of pliers, heated it with a torch and essentially branded Daryl with it.

 

Bobby nodded.

 

“The ones on his bottom, some of them are burns, others are bite marks that were so deep it tore at the tissue. They had to be cleaned and some stitched,” she continued. “His lower abdomen is from where they carved a word into him with a knife.” Anger filled her at the thought of someone hurting this boy.

 

“Are the bandaged places, are they the only burns and bites?” Rick asked. He knew he needed to ask Daryl but he also knew that it would be really hard on his boyfriend when he did and he wanted to make this as easy as he could.

 

“No,” she shook her head. “He’s covered in them on his chest, stomach, back, legs, groin, upper arms, the only thing they didn’t mark was his face.”

 

“Does it hurt him when I touch him?” Rick’s voice broke, it was barely above a whisper.

 

“Sweetheart, no,” she patted Rick’s arm. “He needs the good touches and love. You aren’t hurting him by touching and you aren’t hurting him by making him accept your comfort. It’s what he needs.” She handed him a tissue from a nearby box. “I think you need it just as much as he does.” Tara hugged Rick and pulled his head against her shoulder letting him cry.

 

Rick finally broke. He’d tried so hard to be strong and brave, not let anyone know that he was hurting but he failed. After a moment he leaned his head back and rested against the pillow. Tara tucked the blanket higher over both boys and he touched her hand. “Thank you.”

 

Tara smiled and left the room. Bobby looked over at the two boys and wished for the thousandth time he could fix it instantly but he vowed to do every damn thing he could to try.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings : Self harm and PTSD

The next couple of weeks were chaos for them all. The school board held a meeting over what to do at the schools after the atrocity that happened to Daryl. He was shocked to find out that the majority of people wanted the boys who did it out and not him. Of course, there were a select few that wanted him banned because he was gay and more that wanted him kicked out because he was a Dixon. It was decided that the ‘assholes’ would be sent to alternative school for children with behavioral issues. There were several other precautions that were to start at the school to prevent things like that from happening again.

 The Grimes decided that Rick and Daryl would be homeschooled for now until the trials are over at least. Both boys were ok with that though Daryl argued at first that he was keeping Rick away from his friends. Rick reassured him that their friends would still be around.

Daryl had spent four long, arduous days so far being questioned by the police after Rick and Bobby had convinced him it was the right thing to do. Luckily Bob was one of the two officers who did the questioning and he was easy to talk to. Bobby made them take breaks every so often and especially when he felt Daryl was getting a little too upset.

They and had talked about abuse in the past, physical and mental as well as who his father was working for. His distribution areas, his supplier, and all of that crap. Their theory was that if they could get him and Jo locked away on the trafficking charges then it wouldn’t matter if they were convicted of Daryl’s abuse or not. Daryl was quiet the night they discussed that. It took Rick until three the next morning to get Daryl to open up about what was wrong. He shrugged and told Rick it had made him realize that what happened to him, what those bastards did to him wasn’t enough.  It was going to take a drug conviction to put them away for what they did. It made Daryl feel like he wanted to give up on even trying anymore.

Sasha had come back and informed Daryl that she had spoken with Jess and he wanted to meet Daryl and speak with him. Wasn’t much Daryl could do but just nod. He didn’t want to see Jess but he had to. Sasha had gotten ahold of Merle as well and informed him of what had been happening. He wanted to talk to Daryl but Daryl refused. He just couldn’t deal with Merle right now. The judgments, the name calling, hitting and the gasket he was sure to blow when he found out about his relationship with Rick. He just couldn’t do it.

The therapy sessions with Dale has started again even though Daryl didn’t want to. Sasha said he had to do therapy so it was Dale or she would find someone else. He chose Dale because he at least didn’t feel like he had ulterior motives for being there. Rick was allowed to stay during the sessions which made it easier to talk about some things because he felt safe with Rick.

The biggest shock of all was finding out the real reason Daryl had been attacked. The police had used the information Rick provided them to pressure the weakest link in the little gang and he cracked like a frozen pipe in the middle of a blizzard. Nicholas had rolled over as soon as Bob told him they knew about the plan to impress will and merle Dixon and try to get into the drug fold.

They informed Daryl of this today and the news made Daryl feel funny inside. Part of him was happy and felt vindicated that it had nothing to do with him being in a relationship with Rick or that they had pointed him out because he was gay. The other half of him was pissed that he was such a joke, so worthless in their eyes that doing something like that to him was ok in their eyes and the fact that they knew it would impress his father and brother? Well, that just fucked his world up because Daryl thought he’d done an amazing job of keeping his life hidden from others. He fucked that up too just like everything else he’d ever done. Maybe his dad Merle had been right all along? They beat him to make him stronger but it didn’t work. Was this all a mistake? He wanted the beatings to stop but what if he gets worse without them? What if they were right all along and he was the one who was wrong? Maybe they were trying to help him in the only way he could be helped? They kept medicating him in the hospital because of something called anxiety attacks so obviously, he was fucked up right? He’d never gone to a doctor before so instead of medicine his father used belts and fists.

This was all his fault. He made them do those things to him and they were only trying to help him! He’s the one who should be punished and go to jail! He started trembling and all the emotions he had been holding in and hiding from the rest of the world just burst out of him in the middle of the interview.

Rick had noticed Daryl’s eyes starting to get distant as they listened to Sasha and Bob discuss some of the answers Daryl had given them. Just as he was about to put his arm around him, Daryl let out a broken wail that made them all jump. Everyone stared at the boy who just crumpled in on himself collapsing into a ball against the bed, shaking with the force of his cries.

“Daryl?” Rick carefully approached him and touched his shoulder.

“We are done for today,” Bobby told everyone and cleared the room. He closed the door and walked back to the bed. “Daryl, talk to me son. What happened?”

Daryl wanted to tell them. Explain what a mistake they were making by trying to help him. He wanted to scream how guilty he was from the top of the building and tell his family he was sorry for causing all of this but all that would come out of his mouth were sobs.

Rick rubbed Daryl’s back. He’d never heard such heartbreaking sobs coming from anyone before in his life. “Dad please do something,” he pleaded.

Bobby was about to push the call button for the nurse when the door opened and Dr. Cloyd stepped in. She had a syringe in her hand and went straight to the IV. As soon as the medication went into the tube Daryl’s trembling slowed but the sobs continued. “Is there a position he is most comfortable in?” she asked Rick.

“What? Uh, yeah,” he stammered. His focus was on Daryl and nothing else.

“Ok, let’s get him in that position and help him relax as much as we can,” she smiled.

“Rick,” Bobby touched his son’s arm. It seemed to work because Rick started to move.

Rick moved the covers and sat on the bed before lifting and maneuvering Daryl until he was laying half on top of him, Daryl’s head resting in the crook of Rick’s neck and his body half on top of Rick’s. Bobby and Dr. Cloyd adjust Daryl’s broken leg so that it was positioned comfortably. Bobby pulled the covers over both boys as Dr. Cloyd checked his vitals.

“Daryl, I know you are really upset right now but I need you to take some deep breaths for me and try to slow your breathing.” Denise tried to keep her tone soothing. His blood pressure was way too high and he was hyperventilating.

Daryl could hear the doctor talking to him, could hear Rick trying to sooth him, Bobby trying to reassure him but his mind was in overdrive and nothing seemed to be able to stop it. He tried, he tried so hard to be good and do what they wanted but he just couldn’t control it. Maybe if one of them hit him it would help. It had been too long and he was spiraling out of control. He pushed himself back enough to look at Rick but he couldn’t get any words to come out.

Denise and Bobby helped move Daryl to his back thinking he was having trouble breathing in the position he’d been in. He seemed to be getting worse and Denise called for another 5 of Ativan to be brought to the room. “Daryl try to focus on my voice and control your breathing. Deep breath in and out. In and out,” she demonstrated each inhales and exhales.

Daryl was struggling to breathe, he’d never hyperventilated before and he felt like he was going to pass out. He started pulling at the hospital gown as it felt stifling and too tight all the sudden. He yanked so hard on the collar of the gown that the snaps came undone and he shoved it off his overheated body. He had to make this stop, had to do something, anything! He flailed around grasping for anything he could reach.

Denise looked up when the nurse brought the medication in. “Go ahead and draw up a pain shot for him. He’s going to need it after all of this and have the pharmacy send up Effexor let’s start with 30 mg and we can increase if we need to.”

“What’s happening to him?” Rick asked. He had tears in his eyes and was watching Daryl helplessly.

“This is beyond panic,” Denise explained. “He is suffering from PTSD. Something today caused him to have a flashback and he's so disoriented he’s struggling to find his way out.”

“Fix it!” Rick demanded. He felt totally helpless as he watched his boyfriend struggle on the bed.

Bobby walked around the bed and pulled Rick into his arms. “I know it’s scary but he will make it through this. Dr. Cloyd is doing everything she can with the medications. Daryl just has to calm down.”

Rick clung to his father and cried. He cried for Daryl, for all the bad things that had happened, because the bad people always seemed to win and just because life was so damn unfair.

The nurse, who had stayed to help the doctor care for Daryl, was standing by the bedside. She never saw him move, never felt his touch until he had the scissors open and was running them across his upper arm. The sharp metal left a trail of blood in its wake. 

“Darly!” Denise yelled and pinned his hand down as the nurse grabbed a cloth and put pressure on the wound. She looked over at Bobby and Rick, “I need you two to step out for a moment please.”

“No!” Rick snapped.

“Its ok son,” Bobby soothed and drug him into the hall. “You can still see him from right here ok? They need room to work.”

“But,” he tried to argue. He felt so helpless.

Another nurse arrived and about thirty minutes later Denise stepped to the door. “You can come back now,” she smiled.

Rick entered nervously, not knowing what to expect. Daryl was asleep against the pillows with a new bandage on his arm. They had left the hospital gown off of him and he had clawed and squirmed until he’d pulled the bandage loose from his lower stomach. The nurse was in the process of changing it but Rick saw the word that had been etched there and how angry and raw the wounds were. “I..is he ok?” His voice was barely above a whisper.

Denise nodded, “he will be. Daryl has a lot of recovering to do. Not just physical healing but emotionally and mentally as well. You and your family have started helping him and he’d doing great but you have to expect a few setbacks along the way,” she explained. “He’s been through so much in his short life that I’m surprised he’s as well adjusted as he is. The fact that for the first time in his life people care about him and what happens to him is something new and foreign to him. Add that to the fact that he has been doing hours of questioning about his past and something like this was bound to happen.”

“You expected this didn’t you?” Bobby asked curiously. “Is that why you were here when it happened?”

“I was doing rounds but I stayed to see him when they left. I figured he might need something for anxiety but I didn’t expect it to this level no,” she told him.

The nurse finished putting the last of the bandages on and turned to the doctor. “I’m going to leave the gown here on the table but I don’t want to put it on him in case it irritates him again.”

  Denise nodded and the nurse left the room. She looked over at Rick or was standing, arms crossed, eyes red and puffy from crying, looking down at Daryl like he was afraid he was going to break. She walked over to him and touched his arm; he was trembling. “Take your shoes off,” she ordered.

He frowned but did as she told him but when she pulled the covers back for him to lay down he balked. “No, what if he doesn’t want me to. What if he gets upset again? What if I’m the one who upset him to start with?”

“Stop,” Bobby scolded tenderly. “You know that he would want to be right next to you when he wakes up. He’s told you that you are the only thing that makes him feel safe.”

Rick reluctantly laid down on his side next to Daryl. He smiled when Daryl mewled and turned so he was laying against him, tucked against his chest. He kissed Daryl’s head and wrapped his arms around him tight. As he pulled the covers around him something occurred to him. Daryl was completely naked and pressed tight against him. Rick was happy that Daryl was asleep and no one else can see the reaction that thought caused.

 


	14. Chapter 14

After being diagnosed with PTSD Daryl was given the proper medications to help keep his anxiety under control and had begun a form of therapy to help him deal with the flashbacks. He wasn’t crazy about the way the medication made him feel but he was taking it because he saw how upset Rick was when he finally came back to himself. Daryl never wanted to be the reason Rick looked like that again.

 

Today he managed to talk the doctor into letting him put on some pajama pants. He never thought putting on pants would seem like such a magical experience. Once he was clothed they put him in a wheelchair and pushed him around to a private visiting area. Sash had set up a meeting with his uncle Jess today and she and Dale thought it would be better if they met in a different location than Daryl’s room so he wouldn’t associate the memories he was with the room he stayed in.

 

Sasha was sitting at a table across from Jess who was chewing nervously on his lip. “Remember don’t make sudden movements or anything that would seem like an aggressive stance. He’s really skittish.”

 

“Will really did a number on the kid didn’t he?” Jess knew his brother was a sick bastard but he never realized how sadistic he was. He been given a file or police reports and medical reports that documented Daryl’s harsh life at the hands of Jess’s brother and it made him sick to his stomach. Jess was a retired Marine who served proudly in Operation Desert Storm. He had been part of the battle in Mogadishu in Somali and he knew what happened to P.O.Ws. He’d seen men tortured in war hell he’d been a P.O.W. himself and he knew what it meant to suffer. When he saw Daryl’s files, saw the physical proof of just the injuries that had been bad enough to leave permanent scaring it made him physically sick. Daryl had been through more in his fifteen years than anyone should have been able to endure. Jess was pissed not only at his brother but also himself for not trying harder to see the boys after Will told him never to come back. His attention was brought back to the present when the door opened and a nurse wheeled Daryl inside.

 

The first thing Jess noticed, of course, was the broken limbs, bruises, and lacerations peppering his body. The second thing was how gaunt and worn the boy looked. His eyes were sunken, he was pale, he looked half-starved and he looked bone weary and terrified. Jess didn’t stand or extend his hand to shake remembering what Sasha had said about no fast or threatening movements. Instead, he sat, unmoving and spoke. “Hello, Daryl.”

 

Daryl sat in his wheelchair chewing on his thumbnail. Sasha had promised him that Jess was there willingly and not because they forced him but he still didn’t trust the man. The last time Daryl had seen Jess had been a particularly bad day in the Dixon home. Daryl’s mom was on one of the worst benders he’d ever seen and she had locked them all out of the house because they were ‘filthy bastards’. Daryl didn’t mind being outside, in fact, he preferred it but that day Will was also home and didn’t want Daryl outside where he was. Will kept screaming at him to get his ass in the house. Daryl tried to tell him that his momma had locked him out and Will snapped. He grabbed an old leather razor strap he kept hanging on the shed door and started hitting Daryl. He tried to run but Will was bigger and faster, easily reaching a big hand out and snagging Daryl by the arm. He whipped Daryl until the boy crumbled to the ground in a sobbing heap. He could still hear his dad screaming at him, calling him a pussy, telling him he was worthless, a waste of perfectly good air. Daryl remembered Jess yelling at Will and pulling him off and the two having a scuffle then Jess left. He left Daryl laying there and never returned to even see if he was ok.

 

Jess realized that Daryl wasn’t going to speak early on so he was going to talk and hopefully at least garner his attention. “I have been thinking about what I would say to you. What words would make this easier or tell you how sorry I am that I didn’t try harder to come back and get you but the truth is words are cheap. Nothing I say is going to fix the past or change what happened so all I can hope for is that you will give me a chance to be a part of your life now. I know you don’t trust me and you probably have a million questions for me and I want you to know I will answer them all, honestly.”

 

Daryl listened as Jess spoke and noted that his voice sounded nothing like Will’s. Jess sounded like he meant the words he was saying but Daryl didn’t know if it was real or just a show for Sasha. He thought about it and Daryl did have a million questions for his Uncle. “I know the only reason you’re here is because Sasha made you come. I know you gotta try to prove you showed up and tried.” He shrugged and looked as Sasha, “He tried. Can he get back to his life now?”

 

Sasha looked at both of them and thought out her answer. What she said here could make or break this entire meeting. “Yes, Jess showed up like I asked so he can walk out right now without any further obligation.”

 

Jess nodded but didn’t move. “I’m not here out of obligation and I’m not here because anyone made me. I’m here because I want to be. I want to get to know you better, learn about who you’ve become.”

 

“Why? You didn’t care before, why do you care now?” Daryl asked, remembering the last day he saw Jess.

 

“I’ve always cared kid but I was,” he paused unsure of how honest to be about things. “I was afraid of what Will would do to my own family. He said he would kill mom if I tried to interfere with you.” Will and Jess had the same father but different mothers. “I believed him.”

 

Daryl didn’t know anything about the threat but Jess was right, Will wouldn’t hesitate to kill someone though he’d never pull the trigger himself. He would get one of his low-life buddies to do it in exchange for some meth or X.

 

“I know you had to think I didn’t care about you or Merle but I do. A week after mom died I showed up at your house. He said you and Merle were out ‘running’ for him. I was waiting to see you, check on you and let you know I was going to help. Will told me he didn’t want me on the property that I was trespassing. I told him I wasn’t leaving until I saw you and Merle and he got pissed. We ended up in a fight and the next thing I knew I ended up taking a bullet to the leg.”

 

Daryl’s eyes got as wide as saucers. “He shot you?” he asked in disbelief.

 

Jess nodded and rubbed his right thigh subconsciously. “Look I know I should have kept trying, should have come back every day until I got you but I didn’t. There is no excuse for that and I understand if you hate me for it.”

 

Daryl thought about it for a moment and realized he didn’t hate Jess. Jess was the only one who never laid a hand on him and treated him decently. “H..he told me you left that day because I disgusted you. That you were ashamed I was in the family and that you disowned him because he hadn’t made me a man yet and never would because I liked it on my knees.” He felt his face flush when he said that.

 

Jess frowned, “He told you I was ashamed of you because you were gay?”

 

Daryl shrugged and chewed on his abused thumb. “Everyone is ashamed of me.”

 

Jess leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He saw Daryl flinch when he moved his hand and he stilled. “There is something you need to know about your father Daryl. When we were kids and your old man got hooked on cocaine. He robbed houses, broke into cars anything he could do to get money for his habit. Pretty soon he couldn’t support his habit and he got in debt with his dealer.” He thought about the best way to say what happened and decided it to just say it. “Your dad was a prostitute when he was your age. It was how he supported his habit. He talked a big game about how much he hated ‘fags’ but he enjoyed what he was doing Daryl. He enjoyed it so much that he had four boyfriends on the side. When he started dealing he stopped prostituting but he’s had boyfriends ever since.” He took a deep breath and continued. “Kid it’s one of the reasons your mom amped up her drinking like she did. She was afraid to leave Will because he told her if she ever did he’d kill her. He needed her and you kids to put on a front of others.”

 

Daryl was speechless for several minutes. His father, the man who beat him to a pulp and humiliated him for liking other men was gay himself! If it were true it would explain so many things that had happened in his life. “I, he, but,” he stammered. “How long? He was with women,” Daryl argued finding the new information hard to believe.

 

“He was with women and men,” Jess nodded. He was fifteen the first time he was a man and he loved it. Our old man found out and kicked him out of the house at first. He had finally come to terms with it and welcomed him back after about a year. At that point, though he’d already started prostituting and selling and he was lost to us. He got in with that crowd and there was no turning him back.”

 

“Does Merle know?” Daryl asked meekly. He so wanted to impress his big brother but always seemed to fall short. Merle beat him up a lot too telling him he was making Daryl a man. He had to beat the sissy out of him before their daddy did. It was easier with Merle cause he didn’t usually leave scars.

 

“I don’t know if Merle knew,” he answered honestly. “Merle is,” he sighed, “Merle is not like you kid. He’s got your daddy’s mentality and addictive personality. I know Will beat Merle too but I think Will knew that he could keep Merle under his thumb with drugs. Merle couldn’t deal with what was going on at home so he turned to the X and the meth to block everything out. If he was high he didn’t have to care. I really believe Merle has a good heart underneath that drug induced stupidity. The one good thing about him getting into trouble, this time, is that he’s gonna be forced to get clean and joining the Marines will give him structure and discipline and hopefully bring the old Merle back.”

 

Daryl wondered what it would be like to have Merle clean. Could they be friends? Would he love Daryl them? “Never thought jail could be a good thing.”

 

Jess clasped his hands together nervously. “I feel like I’ve been doing all the talking. Can I ask you some questions?”

 

Here we go, Daryl thought. He’s gonna ask about what sort of compensation he would get in return if he took Daryl in. He gave a curt nod for Jess to continue.

 

“I haven’t seen you since you were seven,” he laughed. “What sort of stuff do you like to do?”

 

“What do you mean?” Daryl asked.

 

“You know like hunt, ride horses, fast cars?” Jess asked wanting to know more about his nephew.

 

“I hunt, have since I was little. If we didn’t then we didn’t eat. Never been around a horse before neither. I guess, I mean I like to be in the woods. It’s quiet and the animals don’t want anything from ya. They just go on being themselves and you can be yourself and they don’t care,” he sighed. He hated being locked up like this.

 

“What do you use to hunt?” Jess asked, hoping to keep the conversation going.

 

“Used Merle’s old 12 gage a lot and a big compound bow but I wasn’t fast enough with it to kill anything.”

 

“I have a little cabin out in the woods.” Jess saw Daryl’s eyes sparkle at the mention of the woods. “When you get out of here maybe you could come by and see it?”

 

“Maybe,” he said cautiously. He was starting to get tired and the uncomfortable chair was making him hurt. “I..I think I need to rest now,” he said timidly. He was afraid of what their reaction would be if he needed to leave.

 

“Of course,” Jess smiled. “Would you mind if I came back and we talked some more?”

 

Daryl thought about it and nodded. “I..I’d like that.”  


	15. Chapter 15

“Daryl,” he growled. “Would you be still?”

 

“No! I’ve been in that damn bed too long. I want to get up and move!” Daryl was so over being pinned in that hospital bed. It had been officially three and a half weeks now and they still hadn’t allowed him to get up other than sitting in a chair.

 

“Just how the hell do you expect to get anywhere?” Rick demanded. “You have a broken, casted leg and a broken, casted arm. You can’t exactly use crutches to get around!” He knew Daryl was restless but he was going to hurt himself worse like this. His dad was at work, his mom home sleeping and Rick was at his wits end.

 

Daryl stood, shakily, on his good leg. The weight of both casts and lack of muscle use made him very unstable but it felt so good to be vertical again. He sighed contentedly even though his body was already starting to shake from the effort to hold himself up. “See, told you I could do it,” he grumped at Rick.

 

“I see how bad you’re shaking and I am afraid you are going to fall,” he said carefully. “I know you can do anything you put your mind too but it doesn’t mean you need to.” He tried to be understanding but he just knew Daryl was going to hit the ground any second.

 

Daryl waved him off and bent his good knee testing his leg strength to see if he could hop. His body was still too weak for that and he nearly dropped to the ground managing to catch himself on the nearby tray table.

 

“Get your ass back in that bed right now!” Rick pointed his finger toward the bed in an, I’m not joking fashion.

 

Daryl arched his brow in defiance. “You gonna make me Grimes?”

 

Rick stepped up to Daryl standing so close they could feel each other’s breaths on their faces. “If I have to.”

 

Daryl’s heart was pounding in his chest as Rick approached. Tension filled the air but it wasn’t an angry tension it was something else entirely. He leaned in toward Rick closing the small distance between them and pressing his lips to Ricks.

 

Rick’s arms wound around Daryl instantly, pulling his body tighter against his own. The kiss started out lazy and sweet, hand rubbing soothingly over Daryl’s back. Taking the chance Rick allowed his tongue to move over his boyfriend’s lips. Rick was granted access and took advantage of the kindness by exploring every aspect of Daryl’s mouth and tongue as he let his hands wander lower and cup Daryl’s ass.

 

Daryl gasped when he felt Rick grab him and his hips instinctually jerked forward causing a delicious friction as his groin ground against Rick’s. Both boys gasped breaking the kiss and staring into each other’s eyes breathlessly.

 

Rosita grabbed the chart from the desk before heading toward her newest patient. She was looking forward to this one because she was going to get to use some newer products because of his injuries. Pecking on the door before she swung it open she smiled. “Hi, I’m Rosita and I’m going to be your physical therapist.” She stopped when she suddenly realized she may have barged in on something. “I’m sorry should I come back?”

 

“No,” Rick said. Both he and Daryl were blushing bright red. “He was trying to get up and move around and I was trying to make him get back in bed.”

 

“Bed huh?” she smirked. “I’ve got a wheelchair right here for you Daryl. I’m going to take you down to the therapy room. Let’s see if we can work on getting you a bit more mobile.”

 

“That’d be great,” Daryl said, his head still partially tucked against Rick’s shoulder. He couldn’t believe they almost got caught making out!

 

Rosita pushed the wheelchair into the room and Rick pivoted Daryl on his good leg then helped him sit down. They both moved the legs of the chair to accommodate Daryl’s height and extended one of them to hold the broken leg up. Rosita looked between Rick and Daryl. “Normally people aren’t allowed anyone to accompany them in therapy but I understand there is an exception being made this time if you want to go with us,” she said, looking at Rick.

 

“Rick, Rick Grimes and yes I would like to go please.”

 

Daryl let out the breath he’d been holding. He’d been doing really well the past week with the anxiety and flashbacks but he was still very uneasy being alone with strangers. He gave Rick a grateful smile. “Alright then, let’s go,” Rosita said backing his chair out the door.

 

The therapy room was at the end of the wing. It was a large room with several different areas of equipment set up and everything from stairs and bars to work on. She wheeled him up to a very low, padded table and transferred him over. After moving the wheelchair out of the way she came back over. “Ok let’s get you settled here,” she smiled. She lifted his legs onto the table and moved him so that he was laying on his back, pillow under his head.

 

“This isn’t mobile,” he whined. “I’m on my back again.”

 

Rosita and Rick both laughed at the petulant tone his voice had. “Patience is a virtue, Mr. Dixon,” she teased. She knelt at his side and reached under his good leg, lifting it up then bending it at the knee. She repeated this several times. “You’ve been off your feet for so long we need to strengthen your muscles again,” she explained.

 

“Yeah but there is nothing wrong with this leg,” he told her.

 

“It’s going to be your weight bearing leg so we need to get it strong again. I can’t do therapy on either of your broken limbs yet, they have to heal first. What I can do is strengthen your good arm and good leg so we can get you on some special crutches and get you mobile again. That is what you want right?” She asked with a smile.

 

“Yes,” he nodded excitedly.

 

Rick was excited by the thought as well but he had questions. “How will he be able to use crutches though with a broken arm?”

 

“We have ordered a couple of special ones for him. They are elbow crutches and he won’t have to put any weight on his broken forearm. We also ordered a hands-free crutch that will attach to his leg so he won’t have to lift his body weight on his arms.” Rosita said excitedly.

 

“See I told you I could get up!” Daryl stuck his tongue out at Rick.

 

Rick’s mouth fell open and he started to respond but Rosita beat him to it. “If you keep getting up on your own and you end up falling and hurting yourself worse, you won’t be getting the crutches, mister,” she scolded. Rick, who was standing behind her stuck his tongue out at Daryl this time. Rosita laughed and shook her head at them. “Ok Daryl I’m going to put some pressure on your foot and I want you to push back against me.”

 

He nodded and thought about just how small the woman was. He would have to be careful not to send her flying off the end of the table. He watched as she placed his foot against her chest and pressed lightly.

 

“Ok, Daryl push forward like you are going to straighten your leg out.”

 

“Ok.” He pushed forward and she applied a little more weight for resistance. He squeaked in surprise when he couldn’t push her back, instead, she was moving forward toward him because his leg refused to even support the little weight she was putting on it. He gave everything he had trying to do what she said and soon he was sweating with the effort. “I..I can’t,” he panted.

 

“It’s ok,” she reassured. “I expected you to be this weak sugar. That’s why you are here so we can get you back to normal shape. You’ve been through a lot and your body has to recover in many ways. The doctors have your health back on track and now it’s my turn to work on your strength.”

 

“You will be up in no time,” Rick reassured when he saw how frustrated Daryl looked.

 

“Then you can both go out and get some sun,” she smirked. “You both look like you’ve been dipped in white paint.”

 

Daryl and Rick both chuckled.

 

~~**~~ ~~**~~

 

Daryl had showered, which was insanely difficult with him being so skittish and panicked around anyone when he was nude. Add in the plastic bags around the casts and the awkward ass shower chair they put him on he was exhausted before he even got the water turned on.

 

He was uncomfortable having Rick or Bobby help him. He had thought about getting naked with Rick but not like this, helpless and smelly from his work out. Dr. Denise said she had the perfect person to help him and sent Aaron, a male nurse in.

 

Aaron was very kind and more patient then Daryl deserved. Frustration set in early on for Daryl and he was bratty and whiney, to say the least. Aaron had asked Rick and Bobby to step out so he and Daryl would have more privacy which was a good thing because that hospital room was small and the bathroom tiny. Things started out great. Aaron got him into the bathroom and sitting on the shower chair but then it came time to take his clothes off and Daryl couldn’t do it. He couldn’t get them off on his own and he couldn’t let Aaron help him. Anxiety and depression were rearing their ugly heads again when Aaron came up with a rather brilliant idea. “Wait right here,” he told Daryl who glared at him like where the fuck could I go?

 

Aaron stepped over to the bed and grabbed the top sheet. He folded it in half then in half again before stepping back into the bathroom. “Ok, we will put this over the front of you then stand you up enough to get your pants down, while you’re covered, then we sit you back down and I pull them the rest of the way off over your cast.”

 

“Kay,” he said timidly. It sounded like a great idea but what if something went wrong? Daryl worked his good arm out of his shirt and let Aaron take it off the other arm while he kept his ‘whore’ scars covered tightly. Once that was done he put his casted arm around Aaron’s neck and stood, clutching the sheet to himself with his good arm. He blushed all the way down to his chest when Aaron reached under and pulled his pants down.

 

Aaron could tell how embarrassed and uncomfortable Daryl was and tried to be as quick as possible. “See I knew we could do it,” he smiled as he pulled the pajama pants off over the cast. “Just had to find the right way is all.”

 

Daryl swallowed thickly, emotions starting to take over again. “Thanks.”

 

“Ok here’s what we are going to do. Your soap, washcloth, and shampoo are all where you can reach them. I will put your towel right here,” he placed it on the towel holder. “I’m going to step out into your room and change your bed linens while you shower. When you are done we will get you dressed the same way we got you undressed ok?”

 

“Kay,” Daryl nodded. This just might work. He waited for Aaron to step out of the bathroom and push the door partly closed before he took the sheet and draped it over one of the hand rails. The water running over his body felt spiritual it was so good. He took his time washing himself and cleaning his hair. As amazing as that magic shampoo was it had started to leave his hair feeling heavy and coated. It took some twisting and leaning because he was sitting but he managed to get the job done and he felt so much better. He shut the water off and grabbed the towel, wiping himself down as much as he could. Once he got himself as dry as he could with the one small towel he grabbed the sheet and covered himself again. “Ok Aaron,” he said softly, knowing that the man would be able to hear him in the small room. Sure enough, the door opened instantly and Aaron stepped into the room, smiling.

 

“Feel better?”

 

“Like a new person,” Daryl nodded.

 

“Ok, the first thing we are going to do is get the plastic guards off your casts.” He reached out and took Daryl’s arm running a towel down the plastic to get the water off of it then unhooked the strap and pulled it off. He repeated the process on Daryl’s leg. “We have two options here, shirt first or pants then move you to the bed, then the shirt. I don’t want to sit you back down on the wet chair in clean pants.”

 

He looked over to the bed and was suddenly feeling completely drained. “Pants then bed please.”

 

Aaron nodded and stepped over to the bed where a pair of clean pajama bottoms lay. He grabbed them and quickly slipped them on Daryl’s legs up to his knees. “Ok, same as before, nice and easy.”

 

He wrapped his arm around Aaron’s neck and held the sheet with the other one while Aaron worked the pants up over his hips. It was a little more difficult because his skin was still damp but they managed. Daryl looked down to adjust the sheet and when he did the world started to spin and he nearly passed out. He felt Aaron take all his weight without hesitation.

 

“Daryl I need you to take some deep breaths for me and open your eyes. Don’t look down.” He instructed.

 

“Sorry,” Daryl said, pushing back a bit when he could. “Didn’t mean to fall on you.”

 

“It’s quite alright,” Aaron laughed. “My boyfriend is used to men fainting around me,” he teased.

 

“Boyfriend?” Daryl asked as they made their way to the bed.

 

Aaron lowered Daryl down to the mattress and pulled the sheet and blanket over him. “Yeah,” he nodded. “Sorry I don’t usually talk about him at work,” he said wistfully. “He’s just been on my mind a lot today. I hope I didn’t offend you or anything.”

 

“Why would that offend me?” he asked.

 

Aaron shrugged. “A lot of people don’t like it.”

 

Daryl frowned, “But I’m gay. You know that.”

 

“No,” he shook his head. “No, I didn’t.”

 

“But Denise said that you would be good ‘working’ with me.” What else would she have meant Daryl wondered?

 

Aaron frowned at him. “Denise never told me you were gay. She told me you were very skittish and had PTSD. I have experience working with PTSD patients. She would never have considered you being gay a ‘problem’ for any reason,” Aaron told him.

 

“Oh,” he said sheepishly, looking down at the blanket.

 

“Is that why this happened,” he motioned to the scars on Daryl’s chest as he helped him into a shirt.

 

“Some of it,” he nodded.

 

“I’m so sorry Daryl,” Aaron said, honestly. “No one deserves that to happen to them for any reason, especially because of who they love.” He could tell Daryl was really uneasy talking about it so he didn’t push. “If you ever need someone to talk to give me a call. I’ll leave my number for you.”

 

“Thanks,” Daryl smiled, his eyes slipping shut.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of past rape

Another week had passed and Daryl was making amazing progress. He had made an effort to spend more time alone because he felt like Rick was living at the hospital with him and it was working out well. He devoted all that time to working on his rehab and building muscle so he could get out of the hospital. He was about to lose his mind at this point.

 

There had been several follow-up procedures to fix lingering injuries from the past as well as some skin grafts to cover the word carved in his stomach. There was a plastic surgeon who had volunteered his services after hearing of Daryl’s case and he was using several different techniques to try and erase the horrible mark that branded the boy.

 

His sessions with Dale were going well. He was able to open up a little more now but he was still skittish and withdrawn around most people. Dale told him that would just take time and him learning to trust again. They had started including Jess in two sessions a week so they could get used to each other and ‘work through the past traumas’ as Dale always said. Daryl thought the man was full of shit but whatever helped, right?

 

Daryl really liked Jess and was glad they were getting closer but he still had reservations about it all. What if Jess turned out to be like his dad and was just being cool so he could get Daryl out to his place and then attack him? He didn’t know if he would be able to survive living like that again.

 

He’d been reading up on his rights, thanks to Bobby Grimes who felt like he needed to understand what could happen during the case and what his choices were. He had been taking notes and studying different options and he wondered if the judge would emancipate him and let him take care of himself? He’d been doing it for years so he knew he could survive. He was going to ask Bobby about it soon.

 

When he wasn’t rehabbing like a mad man he was working on a project for Rick’s birthday. He didn’t have any money and he really couldn’t go out and find material in the woods to carve something or build something so he used what he had, art supplies. Rick loved Camaros, Golden Labs, and wolves so Daryl started drawing pictures trying to get just the right one. Nurse Tara saw one of the drawings and told him he needed to make it bigger. He told her what it was for and that he had to keep the stuff hidden so he couldn’t use anything bigger. Of course, she arched her brow and put her hand on her hip before scolding him. She told him they would be glad to help him keep the stuff hidden until he was ready to give it to Rick. She showed up the next day with three large canvases followed by Tara, who apparently was in on this as well, who had several sets of pens that were acrylic, watercolor, vibrants, and pastels.

 

Daryl looked at Rosita skeptically as he placed his knee on the padded piece of the funny looking crutch. “What is this thing called again?”

 

“It’s called an iwalk 2.0,” she said as she strapped his leg in so that his knee was resting on the padding, his lower leg bent at the knee. “It is a crutch that allows you to walk without having to use your hands. We are going to slowly take a few steps and see how it feels ok? Slowly,” she emphasized again.

 

“So I can just take off running right?” he picked at her.

 

She grabbed the gate belt around his waist and growled. “Punk, take it slow.”

 

Daryl laughed and put his weight on the crutch. It felt stable enough so he lifted his good foot and took a step. Of course, things are never as simple as they seem and he wobbled like a newborn foal trying to stand for the first time. Rosita was there as always to steady him. “Thanks,” he said shakily.

 

“Does it hurt at all?”

 

“No,” he shook his head. “No pain it’s just hard to balance,” he laughed.

 

“It will take a bit but you will get it. For the time being, though,” she paused and looked across the room. “Hey, Annie bring me the M+D crutch?” The other therapist brought the crutch over. It wasn’t a normal crutch either. It had a place to put your forearm with a hand hold instead of the top going under his arm. It allowed him to put his weight on his elbow and entire forearm instead of the hand hold of a normal crutch. Rosita made sure he was positioned properly. “Use this to help with your balance but don’t put a lot of weight on it. We don’t want to hurt your broken arm in any way ok?”

 

He nodded and took another step. A huge grin spread across his face as he started walking across the room. “It works! I’m walking!” He was so excited and the other therapists cheered him on.

 

He reached the end of the room and Rosita stopped him. “Ok turns are going to be different for two reasons, you can get dizzy or get the crutches tangled if you are not careful. Take your good leg and pivot your foot and hip then follows around with your crutches. Be sure to use your crutch to balance.”

 

It was hard to keep up with using both crutches together since they were on opposite sides of his body. He had to mentally remind himself to move them together. He did well, though, quickly adjusting to every little issue that arose. “Can I go outside with these?”

 

She smiled, “We will work on getting you outside but not right now. You’ve been through a lot this session and I don’t want you stumbling and hurting yourself.”

 

He was disappointed but he didn’t argue. “Can we at least walk back to my room?” he asked shooting a glare at the wheelchair he’d been having to use.

 

They weren’t very far from his room, just down the hall and around the nurse’s station, the perks of having a rehab floor, so she nodded. “Ii think we can do that if you promise to stop and rest when you need to. It’s been a long time since you’ve been mobile and you are going to get winded.”

 

“Kay,” he said absently. It was a short distance and he didn’t see how he could possibly get tired from it. He managed to make it to the nurse’s station though and had to stop. He was starting to sweat and his leg was getting shaky.

 

Rosita still had the gate belt and helped steady him. “You need to sit down?”

 

“No, just need to rest a second,” he assured.

 

The ladies at the desk looked up and saw him. All of them came over gushing about how proud they were and how good he was doing. He was blushing to the tips of his ears at all the praise and one of the older ladies even pinched his cheek talking about how he reminded her of her grandson. Rosita was about to take pity on him and start moving again when Molly Grimes walked up.

 

Molly couldn’t believe her eyes. When she walked down the hall and saw the crowd at the nurse’s station she didn’t know what was happening but as she got closer she saw Daryl, standing! She sat her bags down on the ground and stepped around in front of him. “My boy is standing,” she said with tears in her eyes.

 

“He’s walking too,” Rosita winked.

 

“No!” she gasped excitedly and hugged him.

 

Daryl’s heart skipped a beat when she said ‘my boy’. He still couldn’t believe the unending love the Grimes family had. When she let him go and kissed his cheek he smiled. “Rosita has been working with me so I could be up and moving by Rick’s birthday,” he said shyly.

 

“Oh honey, he’s going to be so excited!” Molly beamed.

 

Rosita touched Daryl’s back, “Ready to move again?” She was afraid for him to stand for too long just yet.

 

He nodded and started toward his room. Molly grabbed her stuff and followed along. Once he was unstrapped and back in bed Rosita left and Molly started taking plastic containers out of her bag and placing them on his tray table. “Brownies, cookies, homemade spaghetti, French bread and salad,” he said as she held up each container.

 

Daryl wasn’t sure what to say. “Um, thank you so much but there is no way I can eat all of that,” he chuckled.

 

“Oh yes you will young man,” she scolded. “Well, half the spaghetti, bread, and salad anyway because Rick is coming to have dinner with you and hang out tonight. He would have brought it himself but he was off doing something with Shane and then Shane is just going to drop him off here instead of going back home. It's in a thermal back so it should stay warm. If not just have the nurses heat it up for you. They have a microwave back in their break area.” She fussed with the food putting it back in the bag before sitting down next to Daryl on the side of the bed. “Can we talk about something personal, Daryl?”

 

He tensed. “D..did I do something wrong?” He started chewing at his thumb, worriedly.

 

“No, sweetheart, of course not.” She reached out and tugged his thumb free from his teeth and held his hand in hers. “You didn’t do anything wrong at all. I just want to speak with you about your brother for a bit if that is ok.”

 

“Bout what?” He was still uneasy but he knew that Molly wouldn’t do anything to hurt him, at least he hoped.

 

“I know Sash talked to you a few weeks ago about seeing him and you weren’t ready then. Well, Sasha called a couple of weeks ago and asked me if I would talk to Merle so he would feel better about the people you were staying with so I agreed.”

 

“He’s never cared before, why would he know?” Daryl huffed and picked at the blanket.

 

“Well we talked about that and he told me he hadn’t been a good brother. He also told me that he was clean now and he really wanted a chance to see you and have a chance to talk to you before he was shipped off to boot camp.”

 

“How do you know he’s clean?”

 

“His case worker from Juvi told me. He’s passing all his tests and she said he’d changed a lot since he’d been there. Listen you don’t have to do this, I’m not trying to pressure you but if you want to it will have to be soon because he ships out in a few days.”

 

“A few days?” he fidgeted. “He wouldn’t be able to even get here by then.”

 

“But if he could?”

 

He thought it over for a bit and finally nodded. “I’d talk to him as long as I didn’t have to go with him when he left or anything. I don’t want to live with him,” he said pointedly.

 

“No, sweetheart you will stay with us for now, you know that. I wouldn’t let them take you from me,” she brushed his cheek with her hand. “So, would you be ready to see him now?”

 

“Huh? How?”

 

“He’s in the lobby downstairs,” she cringed. “I didn’t tell him to come,” she said quickly. “He came to see Will and hoped he could see you. There is an officer with him and he will stay with Merle until he’s deposited at boot camp.”

 

Fear washed over him like a cold wave. Merle was here, right now. He had to choose right now. He took a deep breath and nodded. He had to face his demons sooner or later right? He could use Merle as a test run on how he would be able to deal with seeing his father in court. “Ok.”

 

“I will stay with you, I promise honey.” She picked up her phone and texted someone and moved to a chair on the opposite side of the room. A few minutes later Merle was standing in his room.

 

Merle looked at Daryl as he lay in the hospital bed looking pale and far too thin. He saw the casts on his arm and leg and knew that they were the only signs left of the beating he endured. He’d gotten some of the details from Sasha but she and Molly Grimes told him it was Daryl’s story to tell and he would ask him for the details. “Hey, little brother.”

 

Daryl locked eyes with Merle and froze for a moment. The longer he looked the more he realized he saw something there that he hadn’t seen in years; Merle. There was no drug addled haze or distant stare anymore. “Hey.”

 

“Come on in Merle and have a seat,” Molly encouraged.

 

Merle took a seat next to Daryl’s bed. “I uh, I heard some of what happened.”

 

Daryl looked up at Molly. He couldn’t do this with her in the room. There were things he couldn’t say in front of her. “Mrs. Grimes, would you give us some time alone please?”

 

“Are you sure?” She didn’t know if it was a good idea.

 

He nodded, “yeah I’m fine.”

 

She walked over and gave him a hug before kissing his head. If you need anything the officer is sitting right outside the door and you tell the nurses to call me. I will be downstairs.” She gripped his chin and lifted so that he was looking up at her. “Eat cookies and brownies young man,” she ordered.

 

“Yes mam,” he smiled. “Thanks for everything.”

 

When she was gone he looked at Merle. “What do you know?”

 

“That something happened at school and you got hurt then Pa saw a video of something and lost it. Said there were other people involved that helped him,” Merle told him. “I would like to hear the whole story, though.”

 

“Why?” Daryl asked, really wanting to know.

 

“Because you are my little brother man. I know I wasn’t a good brother and I didn’t take care of you like I should but I’m trying to change.” He rubbed his temples, “Maybe it’s too late to fix anything.”

 

“No,” Daryl said quickly. “I want to try. I just don’t,” he sighed. “You’re going to hate me when you hear it so if you want to start over maybe I shouldn’t tell you.”

 

“I want to know Daryl and I could never hate you little brother. If this is about you and Rick being together man, I get it. It’s not my thing but do whatever you feel like you need to man. I won’t say anything about it.” Merle told him.

 

Daryl told him everything. He told him about the attack at school and the video, then what happened when he got home. He told him about everyone involved and why ‘the assholes’ had done what they did; to try and impress Merle so they could get a job dealing. He told him about Rick and his family and everything they’d done to help him. Merle asked him about how bad he’d been hurt and Daryl listed off all the injuries he suffered but he left off the anxiety and PTSD. Daryl told him about their Uncle Jess and how he had been meeting with him. When he was done they sat in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes. Daryl was about to apologize for telling Merle everything, maybe he’d made a mistake?

 

Merle tried to digest everything Daryl had told him had happened. The kids at school hurt his brother to try and impress him. The beating their dad gave Daryl was one of the worst he’d ever heard about but still he realized there had been times that he had helped Will beat Daryl before too, even hit him without being told too. He was just as guilty as they were and he wasn’t sure how to deal with that fact. He thought about how he had learned to deal with things at rehab but he was having trouble dealing with it.

 

Daryl chewed on his thumb nervously as the silence grew. “Told you that you’d be mad,” he hedged. He didn’t say mad at him because he was afraid it would be true.

 

“Is he worth it?” Merle finally asked. His frustration showing in his voice.

 

Daryl frowned, “Worth what?”

 

“Getting humiliated, having guys cum all over you because you like it? I mean you are livin it up here with dinner and cookies and shit while dad sits in jail and not just him but his friends too. I’m just wondering if he’s worth all that.”

 

He had been expecting it really. He’d hoped it wouldn’t happen but he knew his family hated him. “It has nothing to do with Rick, Merle,” Daryl shook his head. “I was takin’ it up the ass well before him remember?” He glared at his brother. “You were there so you should.”

 

“What the hell are you talking about? I ain’t ever seen you fuckin’ nobody,” Merle snapped.

 

“No?” Daryl scoffed. “You held your hand over my fucking mouth while he did it! The day you told your girlfriend to make me a man and I couldn’t? She came out of my room and told you I couldn’t get it up. You and dad were both methed out and came to my room. You beat the hell out of me for being a pussy then dad said he knew the reason I couldn’t do it with a girl. He said I was gay.”

 

“Well, you are,” Merle shrugged, neither admitting nor denying remembering what Daryl was talking about.

 

“I wasn’t then! I was fucking ten years old Merle! You held your hand over my mouth while he…” Daryl couldn’t finish the sentence. Tears were streaming down his face but they were more tears of anger than pain. He had blocked that memory from his mind until now and for some reason it chose this moment to come back to him.

 

Merle froze. He was about to argue with Daryl that they would never do anything like that but suddenly the memory flashed into his mind just like a video playing. He remembered bits and pieces of that night and he felt sick to his stomach. “I..I, Daryl, I,” Merle tried to form words as he blinked back tears.

 

“Go,” Daryl hiss. “Go Merle! Leave me alone!”

 

The officer outside the door stepped into the room when he heard the shouting. “Is everything alright?”

 

“No, I want him gone,” Daryl demanded.

 

Merle stood and left the room without being told again. Daryl curled into a ball on the bed and cried until he fell asleep.

 

 


	17. Chapter 17

Daryl had been released from the hospital a week ago today and he was so relieved to be out of there that he nearly cried when he got to the Grimes home. As grateful as he was to be there he felt like he was dying inside. He needed to be in the woods, to get fresh air and feel the soft grass under his feet. He’d never been confined indoors for so long in his life and it was taking its toll. Tossing his book aside he scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed.

 

Rick knew how depressed Daryl was getting and he had the perfect solution. He’d officially gotten his license last week and his parents had bought him a car for his birthday so he had been planning this outing for a while. He packed a picnic lunch for them and placed it in the trunk of his car along with a couple of blankets. When he went back inside to get Daryl he saw how frustrated he was and smiled secretively. “Hey, babe lets work on some of your therapy. Stand up for me.”

 

“No,” he huffed. “I’m sick of therapy. I can get around fine now in the walking cast, my wrist is almost healed completely and I don’t see why I can’t just go for a walk down the street,” he growled in frustration. He still had crutches to help keep some of the weight off his leg but he could move fine damn it! “I’m sorry,” he said sheepishly as he looked up at Rick. “I know you are only trying to help and I’m biting your head off, babe. I’m just…”

 

“Frustrated? I get it, sweetheart, I do,” he said sympathetically. “Now get your ass up and let’s do this.”

 

Rick’s voice carried that dominate tone that sent shivers down Daryl’s spine but wasn’t mean or hateful at all. “Alright,” he sighed and got to his feet. He accepted the crutches when Rick handed them to him. “Steps again?”

 

“Nope, something new today. Follow me,” he grinned.

 

Daryl followed Rick through the kitchen to the door leading out into the garage. His heart pounded in his chest at the thought of going outside. “Don’t you fucking tease me Rick,” he growled.

 

“Tease you? I’d never,” he shot a playful look over his shoulder that made Daryl’s breath catch. Rick opened the door and helped Rick down the three steps to the concrete floor. He was shocked at the blissful look on Daryl’s face when the breeze from the open door blew over him. Rick hadn’t fully realized just how hard it had been on Daryl because as much as Rick enjoyed sports he didn’t spend all his time outside like Daryl had. “Come on,” he nudged his boyfriend gently.

 

Daryl took a few more steps and watched as Rick opened the door to his car. “What…?” before he could finish Rick cut him off with a kiss.

 

“Stop asking questions and get in the car,” he smirked. It didn’t take a lot of convincing before Daryl was in and buckled up.

 

Rick put his crutches in the back seat and climbed in the driver’s seat before backing out of the garage. He watched as Daryl rolled the window down and took deep breaths of fresh air as they drove down the street. His face looked more relaxed than he’d ever seen it. Rich reached over and slipped his fingers between Daryl’s locking their hands together.

 

Daryl blushed when he realized that he’d completely zoned out. He squeezed Rick’s hand and smiled at him happily. “Thank you for this. You have no idea how much I needed to be outside.”

 

“I wish I could have gotten you out sooner babe. You are getting better now though and we can be outside as much as you need to be.”

 

Daryl lifted their clasped hands and placed a kiss on Rick’s fingers. “I don’t know how I got lucky enough to have you.”

 

“I’m the lucky one,” Rick argued. He saw that Daryl was about to argue so he stopped him. “I think we need some ice cream for our drive.”

 

Daryl looked up in time to see Dairy Queen. “Ice cream,” he sighed dreamily causing Rick to laugh. Soon they were back on the road each licking vanilla cones. Rick had to focus on the road but Daryl, however, couldn’t take his eyes off Rick’s pink tongue darting out to lick the white cream. His own cone went ignored as he watched and he felt his dick starting to twitch and fill. When Rick stuck the cream in his mouth like a dick and then slipped it out Daryl couldn’t stop the moan that escaped him. He blushed to the tips of his ears and shifted in his seat trying to hide his hard-on while sticking his own ice cream in his mouth as Rick glanced over at him.

 

Rick did a victory dance in his head when he heard Daryl moan. He was watching out of the corner of his eye and tried to put on a bit of a show with the ice cream cone. They hadn’t gone much past kissing but Rick was hoping to change that today if Daryl was interested and it seemed he was.

You ok babe?” he asked, smirking.

 

“Yeah,” he said, not taking his eyes off the side window. What the fuck was wrong with him? Rick was going to believe what his old man said about Daryl being a whore if he kept asking this way! Daryl had never even been interested in being with anyone else before Rick though and now he couldn’t think of anything else but the boy’s hands on him.

 

It had been a hard decision for Rick to broach the subject of sex with Daryl because of all of the abuse he’d suffered but Shane told him that Daryl was probably just as much of a horny teenager as they were and it wouldn’t hurt to at least talk to him about it. For once, he was glad he listened to Shane.

 

Daryl kept quiet though he started squirming when they turned off onto an old gravel road bordering a wooded area. Ice cream long gone and other parts of him back under control he finally turned and looked at Rick. “Where are we going?”

 

Rick pulled over to the side of the road. “Feel up for a little walk in the woods?”

 

“Really?” Daryl’s voice rose a couple of octaves in his excitement. He didn’t give Rick a chance to change his mind. He quickly opened his door and got out of the car.

 

“Woah, hang on Daryl,” Rick yelped as he got out of the car to try and stop his boyfriend. “We gotta take it slow,” he warned as he stepped up in front of him. “I don’t want you hurting yourself. You have to promise you’ll listen to me, ok?”

 

He threw his arms around Rick’s neck and hugged him. “I promise. I’ll be good.”

 

Rick breathed in Daryl’s scent loving the feeling of being in his arms. He finally pushed back far enough to give Daryl a deep, tender kiss. Rick rubbed his thumb along Daryl’s jaw tenderly as he broke the kiss. “Come on,” he smiled. “I didn’t bring you out here just to stand by the car.” He opened the back door and handed Daryl his crutches then moved to the trunk and got the rest of their supplies.

 

Daryl watched as Rick pulled a basket and a couple of quilts out of the trunk. He had butterflies in his stomach as he watched his boyfriend move. He’d never had feelings this strong for anyone in his life and he was afraid he was going to do something to screw it up. “What are you doing?”

 

Rick walked by Daryl’s side toward the woods, careful to take his time so Daryl didn’t trip. “I’m taking my boyfriend on a date,” he explained. “See he’s been in a hospital forever now and he’s going sort of crazy.” He paused for a moment like he was pondering something. “Well more crazy thank normal,” he smirked.”

 

“Hey!” Daryl feigned indignity at the remark.

 

“Now I want to take him to dinner and a movie sometime soon but I wanted to do something special for him. Something I knew he would really enjoy,” Rick continued.

 

Daryl shook his head at Rick’s story and couldn’t help the goofy grin that was plastered on his face. Knowing that he was the boyfriend and hearing rick say it over and over again made his chest swell with pride. They hadn’t been walking long when the denseness of the woods broke and they entered a small clearing.

 

The little clearing was beautiful. It was shaded and cooled by the trees but clear enough that there was a large patch of grass that Rick was spreading the quilts out on. He let Rick help him sit down on the quilt. “This is amazing. How did you find this place?” He knew Rick didn’t spend a lot of time in the woods.

 

Rick sat down behind Daryl pulling him against his chest. “The land belongs to a friend of my dad’s. His son and I used to be friends before he went off to college. His dad said I could use it anytime I wanted. We used to ride four-wheelers and stuff around here. I thought you might like it here and we don’t have to worry about anyone bothering us.”

 

Daryl turned and pressed his lips to Rick’s pouring all the passion he was feeling into the kiss. He wasn’t good with words or expressing emotions but there was a need burning deep within him and he needed to find a way to express to Rick. Turning his body a little more he let his hand slip under the front of Rick’s shirt. His fingers softly caressed the warm, taut skin earning him a gasp from Rick.

 

They kissed and touched, each exploring the other and learning what touches were pleasurable and which were ticklish, better yet which ones would elicit a moan from the other. Rick let his hand moved down from Daryl’s stomach and slip over his denim covered crotch. He couldn’t hide the chuckle at Daryl’s surprised squeak. “Too much?” he whispered against his boyfriend’s kiss swollen lips.

 

“No,” he rasped bucking against the hand. He could feel Rick, just as hard as he was pressed tight against his hip.

 

“Trust me?” Rick asked.

 

“Of course,” Daryl said honestly.

 

Rick moved them about so Daryl was laying on his back and Rick on his side next to him. Rick placed kisses down Daryl’s jaw and neck. He moved down his chest and worried the nipples under the fabric of the t-shirt drawing a delicious moan from Daryl’s mouth. He reached down and tugged the shirt up and licked Daryl’s stomach tracing around his belly button. He loved the sounds Daryl was making.

 

Daryl shivered when he felt Rick’s tongue on his bare skin. “Oh God,” he moaned. Looking down he caught Rick’s questioning eye and nodded his head. Daryl held his breath as Rick undone his jeans and slipped his hand inside. Feeling Rick’s hand on his aching cock was heavenly.

 

Rick gasped when Daryl’s hard flesh throbbed in his hand. He pulled the member free of its cloth confines and was enamored with how thick he was. He explored the cock, touching, feeling, and caressing him. Rick smiles as it twitches beneath his touch and Daryl bucks his hips. He can’t resist leaning down and licking at the precum that had gathered on the tip.

 

“Rick,” he gasped and flailed around for something to hold onto, to ground himself. When Rick lowered his head and took Daryl deep into his mouth he moaned at the sensation it caused. With each bob of Rick’s head trills of pleasure shot through Daryl coiling low in his belly. It was almost too much and Daryl felt like he was going to explode.

 

Rick let Daryl slip from his mouth with a soft pop. “You taste so good baby,” he moaned. Moving back up Daryl’s body he pressed a kiss to his lips allowing the boy to taste himself.

 

Daryl moaned as he tasted himself on Rick’s lips as he grabbed the waist of Rick’s pants. He got them unfastened and pulled Rick’s throbbing cock free. Daryl delighted in the feel and the weight of it in his hand. He stroked his boyfriend loving the way the silky smooth flesh felt under his hand. “Love to hear you, to see you like this baby,” he purred in Rick’s ear. “You feel so good.”

 

Rick grips Daryl in his hand and starts matching his strokes with what Daryl is doing to him. “Cum with me Daryl. Wanna see you cum for me.” Rick was panting, sweat dripping from his face as he tried hard not to lose it before Daryl.

 

Daryl’s body seemed to have its own agenda because it was doing something it had never done before. He felt like he was floating and his muscles started to tighten. Everything coiled in his belly and pleasure ripped through him almost painfully. Wave after wave rolled through his body as he came hard shooting over Rick’s hand. He hears Rick’s moans increase and felt his movements stutter as hot cum spurted over Daryl’s hand as well.

 

Rick grabbed a tissue from the basket and wiped them off before falling to the side of Daryl and pulling him to lay against his chest. He kissed the top of his head and rubbed his back grinning like an idiot. “Love you so much Daryl.”

 

“Love you more,” Daryl purred. He gave him a sleepy kiss and curled up against him.


	18. Chapter 18

Daryl paced the room nervously for the four hundredth time. He hated waiting but today was pure torture. The trial for his father had started three days ago and he found out yesterday that he was going to have to go on the stand. He’d hoped to avoid it all together but apparently the accused, no matter how big of an asshole he is, has the right to question his accuser. When Bobby broke the news to him last night his first instinct was to drop all charges and forget everything. Bobby, Rick, and Molly had all three spent most of last night talking to Daryl about why he couldn’t just walk away and reassuring him that he was doing the right thing by holding Will Dixon responsible for his actions. Bobby knew how hard this was going to be on the boy and hoped the judge would allow some leniency for Daryl’s emotions.

 

The bailiff stepped into the small waiting room. “Mr. Dixon?”

 

Daryl jumped when the door opened, already on edge and tense. He didn’t want to do this. “Yeah?”

 

“They are ready for you sir. Follow me,” the man in the uniform said. He led the young man down the hall and into the courtroom. He escorted him to the stand where he was sworn in and then seated.

 

Daryl swallowed thickly and tried to focus on Bobby sitting at the table in front of him instead of Will Dixon at the defendant's table. He eyed the defense attorney cautiously as she stepped up to the podium. Bobby had warned Daryl that they would try to get him to lash out angrily or to admit he did things he didn’t do. He told Daryl to just tell the truth and focus on staying calm no matter what was said to him. Bobby said if he felt a panic attack or a PTSD episode coming on that he needed to let him know.

 

Ms. Andrea Harrison, Will Dixon’s attorney looked Daryl up and down with a hint of disgust on her features. “So you’re the boy that has caused so much trouble.”

 

“Objection your honor. The statement is leading and discriminating and I ask that it be stricken from the court record,” Bobby Grimes said.

 

“Sustained and councilors I suggest you watch yourselves here,” the judge warned.

 

The questions were coming at a rapid pace not even allowing Daryl time to answer most of them. The attorney was accusing Daryl of being the cause of the problems in the Dixon family and his own troubled childhood. After a string of near twenty questions, Daryl heard Bobby Grimes voice again. “Your honor she’s badgering the witness! She’s not even allowing my client a chance to answer her questions which proves she’s simply saying these things for the shock value and not the answer that would be provided. Now the jury has heard all of the accusations thrown out about my client so to ask it to be stricken would be pointless. We all know once something is heard it can’t be unheard.”

 

“Are you suggesting a mistrial, Mr. Grimes?” The judge knew he would be well within his rights to do so.

 

Bobby paused for a moment thinking through their options and a slight smile crossed his face. “No, sir. Instead, I would ask that my client be allowed to answer the questions without interruption. We have nothing to hide.”

 

“Mr. Dixon,” the judge says looking at Daryl, “You may answer the questions in order. The court reporter will read them back to you one at a time.”

 

“Yes sir,” he says softly, shifting in his seat.

 

“Is it true that you are the boy who’s caused all the trouble for the Dixon family?” The stenographer read back.

 

Daryl took a deep breath and chewed his lip nervously. He didn’t think he was going to be able to do this! He felt his chest tighten and his breathing started to become labored. He gripped the arms of the chair so tight that his knuckles turned white. Daryl kept hearing his father’s voice in his head yelling at him about being a worthless bastard and running his life. How he’d been a mistake and how Will should have drowned him as soon as he was born. He looked up searching for Bobby and as soon as they made eye contact he started to calm down. As suddenly as the panic came it vanished and in its place was calm. He would do exactly what Bobby told him to do, be honest.

 

“Mr. Dixon, answer the question please,” the judge ordered.

 

“Yes.” He hated the way his voice shook. Taking a deep breath he started again. “Mr. Grimes told me I could only tell you things that I witnessed personally or heard with my own ears or that we had witnesses to back up what I say or it wouldn’t be permitted,” he said to the judge. “So I can’t tell you what happened before I was born or what happened when I was a baby. I can only tell you what I remember and what was said to me.” He was reminding himself more than anything of what he could and couldn’t say. “My father always said that he should have drown me as soon as I was born cause I..”

 

“OBJECTION!” The defense attorney roared so loud it caused Daryl to jump. “He has no proof that Will Dixon ever said that!”

 

“That’s not true your honor. I am prepared to give you a prerecorded deposition from Merle Dixon, Will Dixon’s oldest son. He can’t be here today because he is in basic training for the Marines but if it’s necessary they have agreed to set up a video feed where he can be questioned in real time. I would ask however that Daryl’s questioning continue first so all questions and rebuttal questions for Merle Dixon can be done as efficiently as possible so we don’t get him into trouble with his instructors.” Bobby Grimes handed the bailiff the sworn statements who handed them to the judge.

 

Judge Miller looked over the documents and shook his head. “Councilors in my chambers now!” The bailiff told Daryl to stay where he was as the court was recessed.

 

In Chambers:

 

“I have a good mind to hold you in contempt, Ms. Harrison,” Judge Miller warned.

 

“What?” She pretended not to know what he’s talking about.

 

“You know damn well you got this deposition two days ago and you know that Merle Dixon corroborates Daryl’s testimony yet you stand and object in my courtroom like it’s something you’ve never heard before! You may get away with this type of thing in another court but it will not hold in my courtroom young lady.”

 

“I’m sorry your honor it’s just that we were under the impression that Merle Dixon wasn’t going to testify against his father,” Andrea said. What she really thought was that they had talked Merle into being on his father’s side when they told him about Rick and Daryl being lovers. She couldn’t believe it when the deposition reached her desk two days ago and she wasn’t prepared to deal with its implications so she’d hoped she could intimidate Daryl into not testifying. She’d been told he had bad PTSD and Anxiety after the attacks and she was going to attempt to force him to have an attack and hopefully he would back out of the trial altogether. If he did then the charges against Will would be dropped because he couldn’t question his accuser. Apparently, this judge was a stickler for the rules and not turned on by her no matter how much she batted her eyes.

 

“You were under the impression that Daryl Dixon was going to be a pushover and that you could intimidate him into backing out of the trial,” Bobby said. “You misunderstand him, Ms. Harrison. Your client may intimidate him but it took a lifetime of abuse to achieve that. He is the strongest person I have ever met and he’s still a child.”

 

Bobby turned to Judge Miller. “While we are in chambers sir I have a couple of documents I need to submit. I just received them when I arrived at the courthouse today.” He handed the judge and Andrea both a set of papers.

 

The judge read over the paperwork and signed it. “They will be recorded today Mr. Grimes and you can use them tomorrow. That will allow Ms. Harrison time to prepare.”

 

Andrea read over the documents twice and still couldn’t believe her eyes. “Your honor I would ask for a recess until tomorrow so I can confer with my client.”

 

“I will allow it Ms. Harrison,” the judge nodded.

 

“Your honor, I would like to request,” Bobby started.

 

“No need Mr. Grimes. I’m sure Mr. Dixon and Ms. Harrison are well aware that if any of this testimony suddenly changes that I will launch a full investigation that will make Watergate look like a tea party.”

 

Everyone returned to the courtroom only to be dismissed for the day. Daryl looked at Bobby with panic in his eyes. “It’s ok Daryl, I promise this is a good thing. I will tell you more as soon as we get him ok?”

 

“A..are they letting him go Mr. Grimes?” his voice wavered and tears were brimming in his eyes. He knew this was a bad idea! What if his dad went after the Grimes’s now? “You have to tell me so I can get out of here. He will go after anyone who helped me and I..”

 

“Daryl, shhh,” Bobby soothed and pulled the trembling boy into a hug. “He’s not getting out ok? You don’t have to run anymore, your safe.” He rubbed the boy’s back for a moment then gently pushed him back. “Let’s go home,” he smiled.

 

Rick jumped up from the couch as soon as he heard the garage door open. “You’re back early. What happened?” he asked frantically.

 

Daryl put his hands on Rick’s arms. “Calm down, everything is ok.”

 

“Did you have an attack? A flashback? Damn it I should have gone with you,” he growled. He didn’t like it this morning when his dad had told him he needed to stay home so Will Dixon couldn’t use him against Daryl.

 

“Son calm down. He didn’t have an attack. In fact, his did amazingly well today. Court was recessed until tomorrow in light of some new information.”

 

“Your dad promised to explain all of it to me when we got home so now he can explain it to both of us.” Daryl let go of Rick’s arms and took his hand.

 

“Ok, you two let's go talk,” Bobby laughed. Once they were all settled in the living room he started to tell them what he’d learned this morning. “When I arrived at the courthouse today I got letters from Negan, Martin, Joe and Owen’s attorneys that stated they were willing to testify that it was Will Dixon’s idea to hurt Daryl that night and they Will told them each what to do to him. They were willing to tell the court that it was Will who carved the words into Daryl’s skin and Will who burned him. That combined with what happened today has the entire defense team spooked because Will Dixon will not be able to evade these charges.”

 

“Wait what happened today?” Rick asked.

 

“Daryl stood his ground and didn’t let them intimidate them. He didn’t let the DA rattle him at all and the judge realized what they were trying to do and took the attorney to task for it,” Bobby laughed. “It’s the first time Andrea Harrison hasn’t been able to bat her eyes or show cleavage and get everything she wanted.”

 

Daryl couldn’t help but laugh at his excitement. “I take it that happens a lot?”

 

“Let’s just say we’ve all lobbied for more women Judges to try and make it fair.”

 

“Going to bat your eyes at them, dad?” Rick smirked as he was hit in the face by a pillow Bobby had lobbed across the room. “Hey!”

 

“Smart assed kids,” he huffed. “I expect to hear that Will Dixon wants to accept a plea deal tomorrow.”

 

“A deal?” Daryl asked. “What does that mean?”

 

“Well usually it means that we would offer him a lesser sentence for an admission of guilt,” Bobby told him.

 

“Meaning he would get a slap on the wrist and probation.” Daryl started chewing on his thumbnail. “At least he’ll have to admit he did it this time,” he shrugged.

 

“No, that’s not going to happen,” Bobby told him. “We aren’t going to accept a deal unless he agrees to my terms. He’s going to go to jail. The only thing I am willing to offer is a smaller prison where the risk to child abusers is less than a maximum security prison.”

 

Rick tugged Daryl’s thumb from his mouth. “You are going to chew your finger off. If are hungry then let's fix you some lunch.”

 

“Not really hungry,” he said softly.

 

“You’re eating something,” both Grimes men said at the same time.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> court/sentencing so mentions of abuse and trauma at the hands of Will.

Bobby and Daryl sat in a small conference room at the courthouse waiting for Andrea and Will. Bobby had gotten a call early this morning that they wanted to meet and discuss a deal. He noticed how pale and distraught Daryl looked. “Hey, remember what I said. I will not let him get out of jail time. It’s going to be alright I promise.”

 

“’S’not that,” he said softly as he picked at some lint on his pants.

 

Bobby turned so that he was facing Daryl fully. “Talk to me kid.”

 

“He’s coming into this room. Gonna sit right across the table from me,” he pointed to the empty chair. “I haven’t been this close to him since that night.”

 

He was such an idiot! Bobby never even thought about the fact that it was the first time Daryl had been so close to his father since the attack. “Daryl,” he put a supportive hand on his shoulder. Before he could say anything else the door swung open and Andrea and Will Dixon filed in along with a corrections officer.

 

“Alright we are willing to offer you a deal,” Andrea said as she took a seat next to her client. She tossed a folder across the table toward Bobby.

 

"Offer us a deal? I'm afraid you got that wrong Ms. Harrison. You are here to ask for a deal and we are here to decided whether or not it is acceptable." Bobby opened the folder and laughed loudly after reading just the first two paragraphs. He closed the folder and threw it back across the table exactly the way she’d thrown it at him. “Hell no.”

 

“Come on Grimes,” she sighed. “What more do you want? He’s offering to do two years probation with time served and take some anger management classes. You know it’s more than any judge would give you.”

 

“Is that right? I think we will take our chances with the trial. Daryl,” he motioned for the boy to leave the room.

 

“You really want to go through with this boy? You know if you keep on that people are going to have to testify about you,” Will Dixon said. He kept his voice calm but he made his point. He wanted Daryl to know he wasn't afraid to tell Andrea about Daryl's lifestyle and his new boyfriend. He knew he'd put the fear of God into Daryl about being gay and what would happen to him. If he felt like his little bitch would be dragged through the mud maybe he would back off. He was pissed that Andrea wasn’t pushing more. He needed to get out of jail so he could get his life back together.

 

“Are you threating my client, Mr. Dixon?” Bobby growled.

 

“I’m just letting him know that the truth will come out. He’s not the little victim people think he is!”

 

Andrea had to bite back the smile she felt coming on when she saw the expression on Daryl's face. Will had hit a sore spot with the boy and might have scared him just enough to help them out.

 

“We are done here! You need to put a muzzle on your client Ms. Harrison before I petition the court to do it.”

 

Bobby slammed the door with so much force that it made Daryl jump. He followed Bobby down the corridor and into the courtroom staying silent the entire time as Bobby rambled to himself about the nerve of some people and how there should be a law that you can slap the shit out of someone based on how much of an ass they are.

 

The court was called to order and the judge took the bench. “I understand that there was an offer made by the defense today. Mr. Grimes did the prosecution accept the offer.”

 

“No, your honor and for the record, it was an insult not an offer coupled with an attempt to intimidate my client.”

 

The judge’s eyebrows shot up at Mr. Grimes tone. “Is this true Ms. Harrison? Did your client try to intimidate Mr. Dixon?”

 

“No, your honor, he was just letting him know that if the trial continued people would have to testify for both sides,” Andrea explained. She tried to sugar coat it the best she could.

 

“He told Daryl that people would have to testify about him,” Bobby huffed. “Seems like you can’t tell the truth any more than your client can Ms. Harrison.” He spat her name out like it left a bad taste in his mouth.

 

“Mr. Grimes you will keep your opinions to yourself unless you want to be held in contempt! Ms. Harrison, you will keep your client under control or there will be more charges added to his case.” The judge’s voice held no question of how serious he was. “If no deal was reached then Daryl Dixon will take the stand again.”

 

Daryl stood and was sworn in again before he took his place on the stand. He wanted so badly to just call the entire thing off but he didn’t know how. Rick and Bobby wouldn’t let him and he had no way of going to the judge personally to tell him, not that it mattered what Daryl wanted anyway. He plopped down in his chair with a resigned sigh.

 

Three hours of questioning later Daryl was worn and battered. He felt like he’d been in a physical fight. Parts of his life that he’d never wanted to even admit happened were put out there for everyone to hear. Ms. Harrison was so flippant, as she spoke about the most horrifying event of Daryl’s life, like the fact that he even existed meant that he asked for what his father had done to him. Each word about the whippings, lashings and punishments made Daryl feel each mark on his body as if it had been remade. When he went home that night he locked himself in the guest room and sobbed until he fell asleep. He knew Rick and his parents were concerned about him but he just couldn’t be near anyone. He felt physically raw like his skin had been fileted off and every nerve was exposed.

 

This went on for a week. Even when he left the stand it was still everyone else talking about him. He’d come home and lock himself away then go back the next day and do it all again. Rick would sit outside the door and talk to him even though Daryl would never respond. Hearing his voice did help but all he could think about was how disgusted Rick had to be after everything had come out about him.

 

Molly would leave food and drinks on a tv tray outside the door. After two days of not eating, she told him she would start an iv on him if she had too. He would take the tray into his room and manage a few bites before he felt ill.

 

Questioning was finally over and the jury started to deliberate. Bobby told him that he could make what was called a ‘victim’s impact statement’ before the sentencing if he wanted to. It was a chance for Daryl to say what he needed to say to his father in a safe place. Bobby was in a meeting about another case so he had some time to kill before they went home for the day. He thought about it for a while as he waited. He sat in the small waiting area considering what he would say if he decided to do it. Could he even stand in front of the man who had abused him all his life and speak?

 

Bobby had finished his meeting with the defense council on the carjacking case he was working on. A stupid thirteen-year-old boy stole a gun and then took a car from a woman who was coming home from the store. The idiot kid was his client.

 

He pushed the door open to the waiting room to let Daryl know he was ready to leave. What he saw made his heart clench painfully in his chest. Daryl was gaunt and pale. His eyes were sunken and had dark circles smudging the skin below them. Worst of all was the glazed, distant look in his eyes. Daryl looked more broken than the first day he’d met him, covered in blood and gashes on his back. “Hey,” he said softly. “Ready to go home?”

 

Daryl stood and headed toward the door but before they got very far Bobby’s phone rang. “Hello. Already? Yeah, we are still in the building so we are on our way.” He turned his phone off and stuffed it in his pocket before turning to Daryl. “The jury is back. They are reconvening in ten minutes.”

 

“A..already? That was fast. Is that bad?” Daryl asked nervously. Did it mean they didn’t believe him?

 

He had, to be honest with Daryl. “To be honest, them coming back this quick could go either way. We told the truth and I know they will do the right thing.” He was praying that the justice system didn’t let him down today.

 

The judge took his seat and called the courtroom to order. “Mister foreperson has the jury reached a decision in the case of Will Dixon?”

 

“Yes your honor, we have,” the foreman said as he stood. He handed an envelope to the bailiff who took it to the judge. The judge read the note then handed it back to the bailiff who returned it to the foreman. “Will the defendant and plaintiff both please rise?” Everyone stood. “You may read the verdict now,” he instructed the jury foreman.

 

“We the jury, find William Frank Dixon guilty on count one, of felony child abuse to a child under the age of 18, in the first degree. We the jury, find William Frank Dixon guilty on count two, of felony cruelty to a child under the age of 18, in the first degree. We the jury, find William Frank Dixon guilty of count three felony false imprisonment. We the jury, find William Frank Dixon guilty of count four, felony aggravated battery. We the jury, find William Frank Dixon guilty of count five, felony exploitation of a minor under the age of 18. We the jury, find William Frank Dixon guilty of count six, felony sexual battery on a child under the age of 18.” The judge asked each of the jurors if they were in agreement on each count and each one said yes.

 

Daryl’s knees went weak and he nearly toppled over as the verdicts were each read. Was he dreaming? Would he wake up having imagined all of this and still be stuck at home with the monster? It was too good to be true. Daryl hasn’t realized that he was wavering on his feet until he felt Bobby Grime’s strong arm wrap around his waist to help hold him up. He felt something wet hit the back of his hand and looked down to see what it was. There were several drops on the wooden table as well as his hand and Daryl realized they were his own tears.

 

“The defendant and plaintiff may take their seats. Councilors please approach the bench.” When Mr. Grimes, Ms. Harrison, and the clerk were at the bench the judge addressed them. “I know it is standard to reconvene for sentencing the following day after the verdict is read but we all know that the convictions of Mr. Dixon are very clear about their sentencing. Would the defense allow the court to go ahead with sentencing today?”

 

“In a hurry your honor?” Andrea asked. She had expected this when she heard the last of the guilty verdicts. Felony sexual battery of a minor sealed Will Dixon’s fate. “I will need to confer with my client sir.”

 

“Do it now,” he nodded.

 

Andrea walked over to Will and told him what was going on. He wanted to drag it out but she explained that he was going back to jail regardless and it would look better on appeal if he showed some mercy. “Little fucker doesn’t deserve mercy,” he muttered.

 

“Mr. Dixon,” she hissed. “Keep your voice down!”

 

“Fine do whatever you want,” he huffed.

 

“My client is ok with it, your honor,” Andrea told him.

 

Everyone came to order again before the judge spoke. “It is customary for the court to reconvene the day after the verdict is read to impose sentencing but with the horrific nature of these crimes and the torture this young man has been put through all of his life the court will show mercy for Daryl Dixon, something his father never did, and complete the sentencing today.”

 

Daryl blinked, confused at what was happening. Someone, was going to show him mercy? He heard Bobby speak beside of him. “Thank you, your honor. My client is grateful for the kindness of the court.”

 

“Mr. Dixon,” the judge looked to Daryl, “You have the right to give what is called a victim’s impact statement. Are you aware of what that is?”

 

“Yes sir,” his voice was soft and timid even to his own ears so he spoke up. “Mr. Grimes explained it to me, your honor.”

 

“Would you like to make a statement at this time son?” The Judge asked.

 

“Yes,” he nodded. Bobby Grimes showed him where to stand. He thought he was going to be fine until he caught his father’s eyes. Fear flooded his body, his heart was beating hard against his ribs and there was a lump in his throat that was hard to swallow around. He felt his chest tighten as the first signs of a panic attack being to surface. He wanted to run, to make himself disappear so he didn’t have to face any of this but he thought about everything people had given up or gone through to help him and decided he had to finish this. Thankfully the court was understanding and gave him time together himself before speaking.

 

Daryl cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “I’m not great with words or anything and I didn’t have time to tell ask someone to help me write what I needed to say so it would sound better so I’m sorry if it don’t make much sense. I want to apologize to everyone. I was never a good son. Ma drank and Pa, he was stuck with me. I knew early on that he didn’t want me cause something was wrong with me. I mean, I don’t really understand what happened or why I am the way I am,” he shrugged, “just that I’ve always been this way." He took several deep breaths and tried to keep his tears in check. The last thing he needed to do was stand up here and bawl like a huge baby. “I’m sorry I was never the son that ya wanted. M’sorry that something is wrong with me. I wish I could have been different.” He picked at the wood on the podium nervously.

 

Daryl turned to face the jury, “I’m sorry to all of you for wasting your time having to deal with this.” He faced the judge, “I’m sorry to you sir for not being man enough to deal with it myself and for having to involve other people. I know everyone has things they need to be doing besides listening to my hard luck stories.”

 

He looked over at his father and his heart clenched. Anger and fear washed over him at the same time but it was also accompanied by sorrow. He felt sorry for Will Dixon. “Over the years Pa, you always told me what you did to me was my fault. I was bad or mouthy or I ate ya outta house and home. I got sick and cost ya money because one of my teachers demanded I go to the doctor or she’d call social services. I could never do anything right. I tried like hell but I was just never good enough.” He started to tremble as he spoke and placed both of his hands on the wooden surface of the podium to steady himself. “I wish I’da been more like Merle so I coulda made you proud. Just once I would have liked to see you look at me like ya always do him. Like he is the sun and you’d die without him bein’ around. I’m sorry for letting you down and disappointing you so much. It wasn’t like I tried to do it.” He couldn’t hold the tears back any longer. They flowed down his face and with a broken voice he sobbed, “I’m sorry I could never be the son you wanted Pa.” When Daryl was finished there weren’t many dry eyes in the courtroom including the judges. Bobby Grimes put a supportive hand on his shoulder as he returned to the plaintiff's table.

 

After taking a moment to gather himself the judge finally spoke. “William Dixon, please rise.” Andrea and William both stood and faced the judge. “I have tried a lot of cases in my time as a judge but none were as horrific and deplorable as this one. The hell Daryl Dixon suffered at the hands of his own father, a man who was supposed to love and protect him, turned into a horrific, nightmare worthy monster. Burns, bruises, broken bones, a fractured skull, cuts, lashes, beatings, forced intoxication, molestation, humiliation, starvation and being imprisoned against his will are only a few of the horrific events that this young man had to endure at your hands.

 

If I had my way I would make you suffer every indignity and painful lash that you caused your son but unlike you Mr. Dixon, the court has compassion for even those who don’t deserve it. The crimes you have been convicted of carry very clear sentences, which makes my job simple today. All but two of your charges carry fifteen years sentences each which would accumulate to be sixty years. The other two charges, however, carry mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole. It is the court’s ruling today in the case of Daryl Dixon vs. William Dixon, that you, William Frank Dixon be sentenced to, two life sentences without the possibility of parole as well as sixty years.”

 

Daryl heard gasps and cheers as the judge read his ruling but all he could focus on was his heart pounding in his chest. He was stunned that the court believed him and convicted his father for what he’d done to him but at the same time he was heartbroken. It was his fault that his father was going to prison for the rest of his life. What had he done? Now Merle and their dad could never be together again like a family. He may have won for himself but he just destroyed two other lives. Was it too late to beg for forgiveness and tell the judge he didn’t want to go through with it? Could he still drop the charges? Maybe he could say he lied and throw himself on the mercy of the court. Sure he would go to jail but maybe his father could be free. He was started from his thoughts when he heard the judge say his name.

 

“Daryl Dixon, if I could award you your life back, son I would gladly do it. You have nothing to apologize to that man for. He betrayed you, hurt you, tortured you and then blamed you for his mistakes. He deserves to be punished to the fullest extent of the law for it. I’m sorry the system failed you for so long young man.” The judge cleared his throat, “I can see the sadness on your face over the sentencing. Do not waste any more tears on that man. You are a fine young man and anyone would be proud to have you in their family. I know life is going to be new for you but after what you have survived Daryl, I am confident that you will come through with flying colors. Court is dismissed.” He banged his gavel and Daryl jumped.

 

Daryl watched as they took his father from the room. He flinched when someone wrapped an arm around him. Turning toward the person he saw Rick. “W..what are you doing here?”

 

“Dad texted me when they came back with the verdict. I wanted to be here for you.” Rick pulled Daryl into a hug and kissed his head. He could feel his boyfriend trembling against him. “Shhh you won sweetheart, it’s over now. For the first time in your life, you don’t have to be afraid of him.”

 

“But I just put him in jail for the rest of his life,” Daryl whispered. His voice was rough and he was breathing erratically as another wave of panic hit him.

 

“No, you did not,” a voice said from behind him. Daryl turned to see his uncle Jes standing there. “He put himself in prison Daryl, not you. He did all of this. He chose to torture you and he deserves a hell of a lot worse than he got.”

 

“What are you doing here?” Daryl asked, shocked to see Jess.

 

“You don’t think I was gonna let you stand alone do you, kid? You faced your biggest fear today and I can’t imagine how hard all of this has been on you. You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met Daryl. I wasn’t there for you when you needed me as a kid but I hope to change that now,” Jess told him.

 

Daryl felt more loved at that moment than he ever had in all his life. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve the Grimes’ family, or Jess being back and he sure didn’t know how he got lucky enough to have Rick in his life but today he wasn’t going to question it. Today he was going to embrace it and let it embrace him before he had to start a new journey for his life.


	20. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and love on this fic! It was my first ever High School Fic!

Epilogue   
  
  
Two weeks after the trials were over Daryl moved in with his Uncle Jess. It had been pretty tense at first, Daryl still didn’t trust anyone completely besides the Grimes family so it took him a bit to warm up to Jess. For his part, Jess didn’t pressure Daryl or try to force him to be close to him. After setting down a few basic rules of what he expected from Daryl he left the boy alone to get settled. Jess hoped when Daryl adjusted to his new surroundings he would come around. Sure enough one day when Jess was out target shooting in the backyard with his bow Daryl came outside. Jess just kept doing what he was doing but on the inside, he was doing a victory dance. Before long Daryl was asking questions about what kind of bow he was using and what he could hunt with it. A couple of hours later Jess was showing Daryl how to use a crossbow and things changed between them. Jess seemed to earn some of Daryl’s trust and respect. Their relationship continued to grow over the next couple of weeks and when Daryl started sitting in the den with him and watching tv at night Jess felt like they had reached a huge milestone together. The next night after they had cleaned up from dinner Jess presented Daryl with a rather large box. It was wrapped in plastic trash bags in true Dixon fashion and it made Daryl laugh. “What is it?” he asked.

 

“Open it and see,” Jess smirked.

 

Daryl pulled the bags off and couldn’t hide the goofy grin that spread across his face. “Does this mean I get to use your old one,” he asked excitedly?

 

“What? No,” Jess shook his head. “This one is yours.”

 

“What?” Daryl didn’t know what to say. No one had ever given him a gift this expensive except the Grimes’s. “Jess I… I don’t know what to say.”

 

“Just say ya like it kid,” he laughed. He didn’t think Daryl would ever adjust to people being kind to him, much less giving him gifts. He wasn’t expecting Daryl to jump up and hug him though and he stumbled back from the added weight. Jess froze for a moment unsure how to proceed. He didn’t want Daryl to feel trapped or to trigger an attack. ‘To hell with it’, he thought and wrapped his arms around his nephew and hugged him just as tight.

 

 

 

After a moment Daryl pushed back, blushing to the tips of his ears. “Thank you. I love it!” He carefully opened the box and ran his fingers over his new crossbow. “Can we shoot it tomorrow?” he asked, hopefully.

 

“Course kid,” Jess smiled. “You’ll be good enough to hunt with it before ya know it.”

 

Before bed that night he called Rick and told him about everything. He excitedly explained how Jess was going to teach him to hunt with it. They made plans to meet the following afternoon in town for lunch. They saw each other at least every other day but Daryl hadn’t asked Rick to come to his new place yet. He told him he needed to adjust to being there first and Rick understood. He’d been to the Grimes house for dinner a lot and even Uncle Jess had been once. Things were going great for Daryl, so much so he was almost afraid it was too good to be true.

 

Daryl woke the next morning to a knock on his bedroom door. “What?” he huffed, voice still thick with sleep. He couldn’t make out what Jess was saying through the closed door. “Would ya open the dang door so I can hear ya?”

 

Jess turned the door knob and was stunned to find it unlocked. Since Daryl had moved in he’d kept the door locked tight and usually something pushed against it and his window when he slept. “Phone, its Sherriff Stookey,” he said as he walked over to the bed.

 

Daryl’s stomach clenched as he took the phone. “Hello?”

 

“Daryl, this is Bob Stookey. How are you doing?”

 

“Fine, you calling to check up on me,” he asked nervously?

 

“No,” Bob smiled. “I’m calling because I hope you can do me a favor.”

 

“You need a favor from me?” What the hell could he do for anyone?

 

 

“Don’t sound so shocked Dixon, you have made quite the name for yourself in this town. Took guts to do what you did and ain’t none of us gonna let you forget it.” Bob wasn’t surprised when he was met with silence. “We arrested a real piece of work last night. He and his family just recently moved to town and their neighbors called when they heard the commotion. Seems like this guy has been beating on his wife and kid for a long time now. Wife tried her best to protect the little girl but it wasn’t enough. Anyway, he put the wife in the hospital last night and the girl is busted up pretty bad too but no one can seem to calm her down enough to check her out. Even the mom has tried but the little girl grabbed a scalpel off a nearby table and is threatening to kill herself if anyone comes near her. Doctors, nurses, Dale, they all been trying all night to calm her down. One security guy decided she was a little girl so they could rush her and take her down before she could do anything.”

 

“Dumbass,” Daryl sighed.

 

“Needless to say the girl is now bleeding pretty badly from the neck and she nearly severed the guard’s carotid when she stabbed him in the thigh. Bobby Grimes came in to try and talk to her but she wouldn’t budge. He suggested I call you.”

 

“What can I do?”

 

“I want you to come try and talk to her,” Bob explained.

 

“If all of those people couldn’t help why do you think I can?”

 

“Because you’ve been there,” he said simply.

 

“I can try,” he agreed but he really didn’t think he would make a difference. “It will take me awhile to get there.”

 

“No, it won’t,” Bob laughed. “See I was so sure you’d agree that I’m sitting outside of your house right now. I can get us there a lot faster than you.”

 

Daryl got up and looked out the window at the squad car sitting in the driveway. “I’ll be out in a minute.” He hung up the phone and explained what was going on to a worried Jess as he brushed his teeth and hair. He threw on some clothes and his boots before heading out to the car. He paused at the door not sure if he was supposed to get in the front or back.

 

Bob let the window down, “Front seat Daryl. You’re not in trouble, you’re helping.”

 

Jess closed the car door and leaned down to look in the window. “When you are done call and I will come pick you up.”

 

“We will make sure he gets home Jess,” Bob promised.

 

“Alright but if you need me for anything kid, call.” Jess didn’t want Daryl to have flashbacks of what had happened to him because of this.

 

“K,” Daryl blushed. “I’ll be fine, honestly ‘m not a kid.”

 

“I know but I’m new at this and I worry,” Jess said as he reached in and mussed the boy’s hair.

 

Bob chuckled at the two of them, glad to see them getting comfortable with each other.

 

The trip was made mostly in silence other than a few comments from Daryl about the fact that Bob was doing 80 in a 55 and a few teases about self-entitled cops. It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the hospital. Bob led Daryl past security and down to the room where the little girl was.

 

Daryl saw several people he knew standing in the hallway. Dale, Sasha, Denise and Bobby were among them. He smiled as Rick’s dad approached. “Daryl, thank you for agreeing to do this,” he told the boy.

 

“I don’t know why ya’ll think I will make a difference but I’ll try,” he shrugged.

 

Daryl started toward the door but Dale stopped him. “Don’t you want to know a little about her before you go in there?”

 

 

“Nope. If she’s anything like I was she won’t trust anyone and if I go in there knowing all about her first she will think I’m just like you.”

 

“Is that a bad thing?” Dale smiled.

 

“In this case, yeah it is,” he nodded.

 

Daryl stepped into the room and saw the wild-eyed little girl. She couldn’t have been more than about eight years old. She had a black eye, her lip was busted and she was covered in bruises. She was just a tiny little thing and it pissed him off that a grown man would raise his hand to her. He watched as she tensed and slashed out at him with the blade, growling like a cornered animal but he didn’t flinch. Instead, he just slid down the wall across from her and sat down on the floor, his legs pulled up under him and his hands resting on his knees. He could tell she was trying to figure him out.

 

“I hear you ain’t up for talkin much but I figure since you’re stuck here maybe you could listen for a bit. I got something I kinda need to talk through and a friend of mine told me you would understand.” He chewed his lip for a second trying to work out in his mind how to approach this and he decided to do what Dale did to him. Sort of a reverse psychology approach but with true facts instead of some made up girl. “See my old man, he’d hit me all the time and blame me. He’d say stuff like I didn’t earn my keep. I was a disappointment to him. I still don’t know what is so wrong with me that he hates me, to be honest.” He chewed at his thumb for a moment, glancing at her through his bangs. He relaxed a fraction when he saw the little girl press her back against the wall and focus on him.

 

“I’m really confused right now ‘cause I met these people a while back and they told me it wasn’t my fault.” Daryl continued carefully, hoping he was getting through to her somehow. “Now I don’t know what to believe. Part of me wants to believe these new people and think that I was not at fault but most of me knows that my Pa was probably telling the truth, that I was just born wrong.” His voice carried a tone of true sadness, his real, raw emotion. He was bearing his soul to this little girl.

 

“Don’t see no marks.”

 

Daryl’s eyes shot up when he heard the soft, scratchy voice and he could hear a couple of gasps from the hallway. “He ain’t been able to hit me for a while now,” he answered honestly. “I have scars, though,” he said softly.

 

“Prove it,” she dared. She’d been down this road before. People would lie about anything to get her trust them but it always ended the same. Someone would show up and talk about how much they wanted to help her and her momma then they’d let her dad out and he would come and beat them worse.

 

Daryl hesitated, he’d never willingly showed anyone his scars but he understood her distrust. He’d been where she is and knew that everyone, even if they meant well, lied their asses off just to calm the situation down. “If I show you, do you promise not to cut me or yourself with that when I move?”

 

She gave him a curt nod. “As long as you don’t come any closer,” she warned.

 

He got to his knees and pulled his t-shirt off. He kept it clenched in his hand trying to distract himself from the emotions warring inside him. After taking several deep breaths he straightened up and revealed the scars on his stomach and chest. He slowly turned on his knees until his back was facing her. The scars, old and new, crisscrossed his pale skin like a map of his sins. He stayed still for a moment and allowed her to get a good look before he turned back and put his shirt on. “Believe me now?” he asked as he sat back down.

 

She mirrored his actions and lowered herself to the floor, scalpel still clutched tight in her hand. She nodded at him, her eyes sad because she knew what he had been through.

 

“I showed you my scars so can I ask you a question now?” Daryl tried, hoping he wasn’t pushing too hard too fast.

 

“What?” she asked wearily. She was waiting for him to ask her to list off everything she’d ever been through.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

She blinked, surprised by the question. “Didn’t you read my file?” she huffed.

 

Daryl laughed, “I ain’t no doctor. I didn’t read shit about you. Told ya, my friend out there, Bobby Grimes, he thought maybe I could relate to you so he called and I came. I know what it’s like to not trust people,” he shrugged.

 

Her eyes got wide at that. Could he really understand what she was going through? “S..Sophia, my name is Sophia. What’s yours?”

 

“Daryl.”

 

She eyed him skeptically for a moment, “Are you tellin the truth, Daryl?”

 

“About what?” he asked.

 

“Bout knowing what happens when those people come to the house or school.”

 

Daryl nodded, “A lot of the people who say they want to help have good intentions but they just can’t, or don’t follow through for whatever reason and it ends up being worse on us cause of it. I can’t count the number of times a teacher or some classroom aid mother saw me and took me to the school nurse which led to a trip to the ER which led to CPS coming. They all promised it would never happen again. They’d protect me from him,” he huffed. “They took him to jail and five hours later he’d be bonded out. When he’d get home he’d beat me so bad I’d pray to just die so it would stop,” his voice broke and a tear slipped down his cheek. “The first time he hit my mom ‘cause of me telling what happened when the nurse or the cops would ask, nearly killed me. I learned real quick to keep my mouth shut and take my punishments, to hide the marks he left and the pain I was in. I started wearing layers of clothes, t-shirt, button up and a vest or a jacket, made sure all my jeans were baggy in case anything swelled up.”

 

“D..did he stop hittin’ your momma?”

 

Daryl nodded. “After a while he did but it wasn’t cause of me. She started drinking too and stayed passed out most of the time so it wasn’t fun for him anymore. He couldn’t make her cry or scream if she was passed out.”

 

She liked the fact that he was being honest with her. No one had ever done that before. “How did you make him stop?”

 

“My friends helped me,” he said softly. “I met this guy at school. Popular, always friendly with everyone,” Daryl smiled.

 

Sophia made a face. “Usually snobs,” she huffed.

 

That made Daryl laugh out loud. This was one cool little chick. “Usually yeah,” he agreed. “Turned out this guy was different, though.” He told her about Rick and how he’d met Molly and Bobby Grimes and how they had helped him so much. He left out some details but he gave her the information he thought she would understand.

 

“D..do you think your friend could help me and my momma?”

 

“We can ask him. Would it be ok if he came in?” Daryl asked.

 

“I don’t know,” she faltered. It was one thing to be ok with Daryl but another person?

 

“I promise no one will try anything. I’ll even move over by you to protect you and he won’t come in any further than I am right now,” Daryl tried.

 

“No, you stay right there!” Sophia pressed the scalpel to her neck again.

 

Daryl held up his hands, “ok, I won’t move I promise, just put that down.”

 

Sophia chews her lip for a moment. “You can sit by me but no touchin me kay? If ya do I will cut myself, I swear it!”

 

“I would never touch you without permission,” he promised her. “I’m going to stand up and get Mr. Grimes then I will sit down again alright?”

 

“Ok.”

 

 

Daryl stood up and stuck his head out the door. “Mr. Grimes?”

 

Bobby walked over to Daryl. “Any luck?”

 

“A little. She’s willing to talk to you but when you come in stay against this wall. If you make a move toward her she’ll freak out.” Daryl walked back into the room and slowly went over to sit near Sophia, careful not to touch her.

 

Bobby Grimes stepped through the door and kept his back pressed against the wall like Daryl had said. He noticed the two of them sitting in the floor so he slid down as well, rather ungracefully causing Daryl to laugh.

 

“Mr. Grimes this is my new friend Sophia. I’ve been telling her about how you and Rick helped me with Pa. She wanted to know if you could help her.”

 

“Hi Sophia,” Bobby nodded. “I’m sorry to hear that you and your mom had such a hard time. I will tell you the same thing that I told Daryl. I will do everything I can to help you but you have to help me too.”

 

“What does that mean?” Sophia asked nervously.

 

“It means you have to do what he says like let the doctors look you over and take care of you and talk to a CPS worker that is a friend of his, she’s not like the others I promise,” he added before she protested. “It was stuff I didn’t want to do but I did it and now my Pa is in jail and not getting out. Now he can’t make you any promises but he’s the best attorney around and if anyone can it’s Mr. Grimes.”

 

Bobby had tears in his eyes at the praise Daryl was heaping on him. “I will do everything in my power, I can promise that. I know it’s scary but you seem like such a brave little girl.”

 

“You can do it,” Daryl encouraged. “It’s not gonna be easy but your life hasn’t been easy already. But it starts with you giving me that scalpel and letting the doctor check you out.”

 

“W..will you come with me?” She asked Daryl.

 

Daryl looked to Bobby to see if it would be ok. Bobby smiled, “I think that could be worked out.”

 

“Then I will go with ya,” Daryl nodded.

 

Sophia sighed, she didn’t know why but she trusted this Daryl guy. She handed him the scalpel, “Kay.”

 

Daryl got to his feet and handed the scalpel to Bobby then held his hand out to Sophia. “Ready?”

 

She took his hand and got to her feet. “Daryl?”

 

“Hum?” he stopped and turned to her. He was startled when she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. He hugged her back, awkwardly, still not use to this sort of contact with people. “Let’s go get you checked out.”

 

~~~***~~~***~~~

 

Rick checked his watch for the thousandth time in the past hour. He couldn’t wait to see Daryl today. He had big plans for lunch. He pulled out his phone and texted him.

Rick: Hey. I don’t know if I can wait two more hours to see you.

Daryl: I miss you too.

Rick: Can we meet now?

Daryl: Doing something at the moment.

Rick: ah, I understand.

Daryl: your pouting now aren’t you?

Rick: Maybe

Daryl: lol you are such a dork.

Rick: but you love me.

Daryl: yeah I do. Not sure why but….. lol

Rick: JERK

Daryl: yes, your jerk. I can’t come to you yet but why don’t you come to me?

Rick: At Your house?

Daryl: No am at the hospital with your dad.

Rick: WHAT? ARE YOU OK? WHAT HAPPENED????

Daryl: calm down darlin’. I’m fine. Your dad and the sheriff called me to talk to see if I could help someone and she’s gotten a little attached to me. I promised I’d sit with her until they got done with her in the ER.

Rick: Oh, I don’t have to. I didn’t realize that you were doing something like that.

Daryl: I want you too. Please?

Rick: k I’m on my way.

 

~~~***~~~***~~~

 

Rick walked down the corridor toward the room number Daryl had given him and saw his dad standing near the nurse’s station talking to his mom. He slipped up behind him quietly, winking at his mom when she saw him and reached out and poked his dad in the sides causing him to jump and grunt.

 

Molly Grimes covered her mouth to hide her laugh as her husband nearly jumped out of his skin. Bobby spun around and saw Rick standing behind him laughing. “Richard Grimes,” he growled and swatted him on the arm. “You trying to give me a heart attack?”

 

“Nah just keeping you sharp old man,” he teased.

 

“What are you doing here sweetheart?” Molly asked. “Everything ok?”

 

“Yeah, Daryl texted and asked me to come up and meet this little girl he’s sitting with. Said she was a cool kid.”

 

“Yeah, she has a lot in common with Daryl,” he emphasized making sure Rick understood. “She’s very uneasy around people, especially men so if she gets upset don’t stay.”

 

“I won’t but I’m sure Daryl wouldn’t have asked me to come up if she wasn’t ok with it,” Rick assured him. He told them goodbye and went to the room Daryl was in.

 

Daryl and Sophia both looked up when there was a soft knock at the door. “Come in,” Sophia said softly, squeezing Daryl’s hand for support.

 

Rick opened the door and slipped inside. “Hi,” he smiled at the little girl.

 

“Rick, this is Sophia, Sophia, Rick,” Daryl introduced.

 

“Hi Sophia,” Rick nodded.

 

“Sit,” Daryl motioned to a chair next to him.

 

The three of them talked for a long time and the boys were able to ease some of Sophia’s fears about the hospital and what to expect with everything that she would be facing soon. Daryl had told her that Rick was Mr. Grimes son and the person that had helped him the most. Lunch came and went and when Sophia finally fell into an exhausted sleep Daryl took Rick’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry about lunch but…”

 

“Hey, it’s ok. She needs you and she trusts you. I understand that sweetheart,” he smiled. “If you get done here in time I sorta had a night planned for us.”

 

“A night?” he asked, butterflies flitting away in his stomach at the thought of a special night with his boyfriend.

 

“Yeah,” he leaned in closer to Daryl so he could speak softly. “Remember that spot I took you too when you finally got released to go outside?”

 

“Yeah,” he blushed at the memories of what they had done there. “I definitely remember.”

 

“Was hoping to take you camping there tonight. Got it approved by my parents, since dad knows the property and the man who owns it and was gonna see if Jess would let you go.”

 

“I can ask. He’s been really cool about everything so far,” Daryl shrugged. He didn’t want to get his hopes up but he really did want to go. First, though they had to get Sophia and her mom back together which seemed to be taking forever. He was sure there was a reason but now he really wanted to be two places at once.

 

“Won’t hurt to try, I mean if you want to go,” he hedged, suddenly feeling insecure.

 

Daryl frowned and placed his hand under Rick’s chin, lifting it until he was looking into nervous blue eyes. “Hey, why wouldn’t I want to go? I miss you so much, Rick. It’s been the only really hard thing about being out there with Jess, not being closer to you.”

 

Rick pressed against Daryl’s hand before turning and kissing his palm. He held his gaze for a moment and smiled. “Love you.”

 

“You too,” he smiled. The words I love you just didn’t come from him yet on anything. He turned his phone on vibrate so it wouldn’t wake Sophia and quickly typed out a message to Jess.

 

Daryl: Hey, still at the hospital. Little girl agreed to let them look at her and try to help her but wants me to stick around until they let her go to the room with her Mom.

Jess: Glad you let me know and very happy to hear you were able to help her. Let me know when you need a ride kid.

Daryl: About that. I missed lunch with Rick since I was here so we were wondering if we could go camping tonight if I get out of here in time.

(a couple of minutes pass)

Jess: where?

Daryl: some land a friend of Mr. Grimes owns. It’s private, posted property. No hunting allowed or anything. The only reason we are allowed there is because he’s a friend of theirs.

Jess: Bobby is ok with this?

Daryl: Yeah. He and Molly both.

Jess: Mind if I call and ask him.

Daryl: No. He might not answer because he’s working with the little girl’s mom but he will call you back I’m sure.

Jess: good answer kid. It’s fine with me.

Daryl: You’re not gonna call?

Jess: lol nope. If you’d said I couldn’t call Bobby then I would have.

Daryl: oh I see how it is… you’re testing me.

Jess: maybe…. But you got nothing to worry about because you told the truth. See how that works?

Daryl: lol at least you didn’t accuse me of something without finding out first.

Jess: Would never do that kid.

Daryl: I know. You’ve been good to me.

 

Rick watches Daryl texting on the phone and thinks back to just how far he’s come in such a short time. It was just a few months ago that Daryl had never even used a cell phone and now he was texting like he’d done it forever.

 

“What?” Daryl asked when he noticed Rick staring.

 

“Nothin, just thinking about how much you’ve opened up since we met. How much happier you are.”

 

Daryl smiled, “All because of you and your family.”

 

Rich shook his head. “All because you were strong enough to stand up to the monster.”

 

They were interrupted when the door opened. Sophia’s eyes snapped open and she looked around the room, scared. “It’s ok, you’re safe, remember?” Daryl said as he took her hand.

 

“We have your room ready sweetheart,” the nurse said as she pushed the wheelchair up to the bed. “Your momma is already there waiting for you.”

 

Bobby Grimes stuck his head in the door. “I’ve already talked to your Mom and she agreed to press charges to this time. I have talked to the sheriff and he promised me that he is going to keep your father in jail until I can get down to the station and file charges.”

 

“Then what?” She asked.

 

“Then you start talking to people so they can document what he’s done to you,” Daryl told her. “Just like we talked about.”

 

Sophia hugged Daryl. “Will you come back and see me?”

 

“Of course I will,” he chuckled. “I will be back before you know it.”

 

“Promise?” she asked.

 

“Promise,” he nodded.

 

She leaned up and kissed his cheek before moving to the wheelchair. She waved goodbye as the nurse wheeled her down the hall.

 

 

“You two going camping?” Bobby asked.

 

“Yep,” Rick nodded. “Got my stuff in the car already.”

 

“I still gotta go get my stuff,” Daryl said. “I didn’t know about the trip till a few minutes ago,” he eyed Rick.

 

“I was gonna ask at lunch but we never made it,” he defended playfully.

 

“Uh huh,” Daryl smirked.

 

 

~~~***~~~***~~~

 

They stopped and grabbed some burgers when they left the hospital then went to Daryl’s place to pick up his stuff. Jess offered to let Rick drive one of his old trucks because it would be easier to load their stuff in. They agreed and the boys started putting stuff in the bed of the truck. Daryl was shocked when Jess brought out a sleeping bag, a big four man tent, a couple of battery operated lanterns, a bag full of junk food and a cooler packed with food and drinks. “Don’t give me that look,” Jess told him. “I know how you had to ‘rough it’ before and you don’t have to do that now. There is nothing wrong with sleeping under the stars or hunting for food but you can have some comforts too.”

 

Daryl fidgeted, “Not really used to comforts or somebody thinkin’ I deserve them.”

 

“Well get used to it kid,” Jess smiled then shoved him a little to break the tension.

 

“Hey! No pushin’ old man,” Daryl snapped back playfully.

 

Rick laughed at the two of them. He was so glad that they were getting closer but he was even happier to see that Jess was spoiling Daryl too. Once they were packed and ready to go Rick tossed Jess his keys and told him he was welcome to use the car if he wanted then he and Daryl climbed into the truck and headed to their special place.

 

They unloaded the truck and Daryl went to get some wood for a fire while Rick set up the tent. By the time Daryl got back the tent was up and all their stuff was inside. He had gathered some rocks and made a circle with them before stacking kindling then the logs inside it. They worked together moving some bigger logs around for them to lean against and before long they had a camp set up that anyone would have been proud of. Daryl sat down next to Rick and snuggled closer when the other boy put his arm around him. “I’m surprised you wanted to do this but I’m really glad. It’s been a while since I’ve slept outside.”

 

“Why are you surprised I wanted to camp?” Rick asked him.

 

Daryl shrugged, “You just seem like the kinda guy who likes the comforts of home. Like a bed and tv and stuff.”

 

Rick scoffed, “Are you trying to say you don’t think I’m tough enough to be out in the woods.”

 

Daryl bit his lip trying to stop the smile from forming. “Not that just maybe a little to citified to like it.”

 

“Citified huh? I’ll show you citified,” he said as he got to his feet.

 

“Where you goin’?”

 

“You never mind, just get the fire started country boy. I’ll show you how citified I am.”

 

Daryl watched as Rick grabbed a stick then stuck his head in the tent to grab a bag before coming back to sit down. By then he had the fire going and just sat back to see what Rick was going to do. Rick was busy shuffling through the bag he’d grabbed. “You just sit there and watch this citified guy cook you the most delicious thing you ever put in your mouth on a stick, over a campfire,” Rick told him.

 

Daryl snorted when Rick put the marshmallow on the stick but the other boy’s sharp look made him stop. “You’re gonna burn it.”

 

“Shut it,” Rick warned. A second later he gasped as he blew out the flaming ball of sugar. Daryl kept his mouth shut this time however because he was confused by what Rick was doing. He put the hot marshmallow between two graham crackers and a half a Hershey bar then turned around and held it up to Daryl’s mouth. “Bite.”

 

“What is it?” Daryl asked.

 

“Wha.. you’ve never had S’mores?”

 

“Some more what?” he asked, confused.

 

“Not some more, S’mores, just, never mind. Bite!”

 

He did as he was told and bit down on the treat. Gooey marshmallow and melted chocolate squished out all over his face and Rick’s hand but it was heavenly. How had he never heard of these? “Is good,” he told him as he chewed.

 

Rick smiled triumphantly! “I knew you would like it!” He watched as Daryl used his thumb to wipe the chocolate off of his chin and then sucked off of his finger. To stop the moan that was bubbling up Rick shoved the rest of the treat into his own mouth but it seemed Daryl wasn’t done cleaning up. Before he knew what was happening Daryl had lifted Rick’s hand to his mouth and began sucking the chocolate off of his fingers as well. The warm tongue wrapped around his finger as Daryl bobbed his head sent all blood flow in his body south. “Fuck Daryl,” he moaned.

 

Daryl let Rick’s fingers slip from his mouth then leaned in close to him, faces nearly touching. “Feelin’ a little confident there Grimes?” Before he could answer Daryl pressed their lips together.

 

Rick let is tongue trace the seam of Daryl’s lips and was granted entrance. He took his time exploring Daryl’s mouth touching every place he already knew by heart. He clasped one hand against the back of Daryl’s neck the other rubbing softly down Daryl’s side until he can slip it under the hem of his shirt. He let his fingers rub lightly over the soft skin there. He could feel Daryl tremble and pulled back. “You ok sweetheart”

 

Daryl nodded. His lips were red and his cheeks flushed. “’M ok.”

 

“Do you want to stop?”

 

“No,” he answered almost too quickly. “I.. I don’t want to stop.”

 

“Kay. If you do want to stop just tell me. I’m not going to be mad alright?”

 

Daryl relaxed a little at that. He wanted Rick so bad it hurt but he was still unsure about being touched. His biggest fear was it would trigger a flashback and then Rick would never want to touch him again. “I want this. I want you I just never,” his face flamed as he tried to turn away.

 

Rick stopped Daryl from moving. “No running. We are honest with each other above all else, got it?” He waited until Daryl nodded and looked at him again. “I have never been with anyone either besides what you and I did out here. I know the logistics of it, I watched some videos so I would know what to do.” It was Rick’s time to blush now. “We don’t have to do any of it. I will be happy just being with you and having you in my arms.”

 

Daryl smiled and kissed Rick’s jaw then down his neck where he nipped lightly loving the shiver it sent through Rick. He let his hand run over Rick’s firm chest, down his stomach and come to rest over the bulge in his jeans. Rick gasped and bucked up against his touch. “Looks like something else of yours would be happy to have me besides your arms,” he teased.

 

“Very, very happy,” he panted. “But I…”

 

“Shut up and kiss me,” Daryl teased. Rick didn’t disappoint either. Daryl didn’t think anyone had ever been explored as well as Rick was exploring him. Hands were touching and rubbing, mouths were kissing and licking as each boy searched for the spots that made their partner react. Before long Daryl had managed to get Rick’s shirt unbuttoned and he ran his nails lightly over his hardened nipples causing Rick to hiss in pleasure.

 

“We need to move this to the tent,” he panted.

 

Daryl agreed and got to his feet. He stepped into the tent, which was big enough for him to stand upright in and he couldn’t believe his eyes. “What? How?” There was a rather large mattress on the floor of the tent covered in a quilt and one of the sleeping bags unzipped and folded at the foot for them to cover up with. The lanterns were sitting on either side of the mattress, the food and packs as well.

 

“I might have planned a little bit,” Rick shrugged innocently. “My tent was smaller than this one so I’m glad he let us borrow it.”

 

“You did all of this for us?” Daryl was speechless.

 

“I wanted it to be special,” he explained as he zipped the tent and secured it.

 

“You are one of those romantics aren’t you,” Daryl laughed. He really didn’t know how else to react at the moment because the emotions were too thick and he was afraid he would cry.

 

Rick grabbed him and pulled him into his arms, “Damn right I am. For you anyway.”

 

Daryl’s hand trembled slightly as he reached out and ran his hand over the smooth skin before him. Rick gasped in pleasure at certain touches and soft scratches and he wanted to hear more of that sound. He let his hand roam lower over the man’s stomach until his hand was resting on his erection causing Rick’s hips to buck against his hand as he let out a needy whine.

 

Rick nearly came undone when Daryl gave him a soft squeeze and stroked him timidly through the denim jeans. Taking Daryl’s hand in his own he placed kisses along Daryl’s neck and shoulders. They removed each other’s clothes as they explored their bodies. Rick carefully lowered Daryl down on the mattress. He noticed how Daryl tried to hide himself and knew it was because of the scars. “Trust me?”

 

“Of course,” without hesitation.

 

Rick leaned over his trembling, soon to be lover and began kissing him on the lips, moving along his jaw to his neck where he playfully nipped and sucked at the skin. He moved down to the broad chest placing soft kisses everywhere he could reach before licking a nipple and sucking the nub into his mouth until the nub became painfully oversensitive and he tried to pull away.

 

Daryl moaned, his body began moving, searching on its own accord for some sort of friction. A need he’d never experienced coiled deep inside of him. It felt amazing and he wanted nothing more than to explore it further.

 

Rick kissed each scar, tracing them with his lips like it could somehow erase the sadness they caused. It was a touch so tender that when he looked up he saw tears falling from Daryl’s eyes. “Hey,” he soothed. “You ok?” He was afraid he’d caused a flashback of some sort.

 

He nodded. “No one’s ever touched me like this. So gentle, with so much love, in all my life.”

 

“Get used to it beautiful,” he purred.

 

Daryl used the distraction to flip them over so that he was on top. He let his hands roam Rick’s body making mental notes of places that seemed to get a reaction and did those things over and over again. He explored Rick’s body with touches and kisses until he was writhing and panting beneath him.

 

Rick set up pulling Daryl with him and let his hands trace down his back until he was cupping Daryl’s ass. “Are you ok with this?”

 

Daryl moaned softly as their bodies slid together. “Please Rick,” he whimpered.

 

“Please, what sweetheart?”

 

“I want you, want to feel you,” Daryl pleaded.

 

Rick reached over to his duffel bag and tugged a bottle of lube out of the inside pocket. When he saw Daryl’s questioning look he laughed. “I was sort of hoping our trip might lead to this.”

 

Daryl laughed and kissed him. “I was too.”

 

Rick flipped them once again so that he was hovering over top Daryl then moved down his body bending his knees and spreading them so Daryl was fully exposed to him. He softly ran his hands down Daryl’s trembling thighs placing soft kisses and nips in their wake. He moved past the swollen flesh with just a feather light kiss before bending and sucking the soft sacks below into his mouth.

 

“Oh God!” he groaned filling fire coil in his belly.

 

“Well..if that’s what you want to call me,” he teased just before engulfing Daryl’s dick in one quick drop of his mouth.

 

Daryl’s smart ass remark was cut short when Rick swallowed him and his hips bucked up into the impossible heat causing Rick to gag. “Fuck, sorry.”

 

Rick readjusted, “just relax and enjoy it.” He went back to work. Once Daryl was a mewling moaning mess Rick let the member slip from his mouth with a soft pop. He had poured some lube on his hand and warmed it then slowly brought the hand up to the round globes of Daryl’s ass. “If you need to stop just tell me.”

 

“I don’t want you to stop. I want you to get on with it,” he growled.

 

“God you’re a pushy bottom,” he teased slipping a finger inside his soon to be lover. He was tight, very tight against his finger. He worked his finger in and out, licking and sucking him the entire time to keep him relaxed until he felt he was ready for a second finger.

 

Daryl felt the sting as the second finger slipped inside but he didn’t care. Everything else Rick was doing was driving him insane. He hissed when Rick added a third finger and scissored them open though.

 

“Deep breaths sweetheart,” he soothed kissing the pale thigh in front of him. He curled his fingers and hit that bundle of nerves buried deep inside him and Daryl cried out.

 

“What the hell was that?” he panted.

 

“Your prostate,” Rick smirked.

 

“Do it again?”

 

He curled his fingers again and started massaging over the bundle deep inside of Daryl and it wasn’t long before Daryl started shoving himself down on his fingers needing more. “I could watch you like this forever.”

 

“Rick, need you, please,” he pleaded.

 

Rick carefully pulled his fingers free and poured some lube on his own neglected erection he gasped at the touch, he wasn’t going to last long. Getting to his knees he pushed Daryl’s legs wide enough to accommodate him. He couldn’t help but stare at what a beautiful picture Daryl made in the state he was in.

 

Daryl moaned as he was spread wide by the position, exposed and needy. If it were possible he was pretty sure Rick would devour him right there. He reached out and ran a hand over Rick’s chest letting his fingers trace down to the proud, jutting cock. “So big. You think it will fit?” he asked as he chewed his lip.

 

“It will fit,” Rick said as he kissed him once more. He lined up and pressed the tip of the thick head to Daryl’s puckered entrance and pressed forward. “Relax for me baby,” he soothed keeping the pressure constant until it breached him.

 

Daryl clenched. He knew Rick told him not to but he couldn’t help it. Rick was too big and it felt like he was splitting into. He didn’t want to say anything because the look on Rick’s face was pure bliss. He held out as long as he could but the constant, slow slide into his body was still going and he was beginning to think he was never going to bottom out. “Can’t, too much Rick,” he panted.

 

“I’m there sweetheart, I’m there, shhh,” he held still allowing Daryl’s body time to adjust to him. “So tight,” he moaned leaning in to capture kiss swollen lips again. It took a couple of minutes but he finally felt Daryl’s muscles start to relax around him. “Ok love?”

 

Daryl nodded. “Move, please, something. I need,” he moaned.

 

Pulling his hips back until the head was stretching the muscled entrance Rick slid back in. It was much smoother this time and he was soon sliding in balls deep again and again rubbing across that bundle of nerves with each slide.

 

Daryl was in heaven. Rick was making him feel things that he didn’t know were possible. Every thrust of the man’s hips made him see stars and he felt like he was going to spontaneously combust. His hips were suddenly moving and he was meeting Rick’s thrusts with one of his own.

 

“So good,” Rick panted. He wasn’t going to last so he grabbed Daryl’s leaking cock in his hand and started stroking him from root to tip making sure to give a little twist at the head. “Gonna cum,” he groaned.

 

Daryl couldn’t respond because his body was doing something insane. It felt like a thunderstorm building in his stomach and it quickly spread all over his body. Just as he opened his mouth to say something his body started spasming. It pulsed as his muscles clenched and released over and over and he came hard, shooting all over Rick’s hand and his own stomach.

 

The sight of Daryl coming undone and cumming all over himself pushed Rick over the edge as well. Rick came hard, flooding the lithe body below him until he collapses down on top of his lover breathlessly. They lay there panting for a moment before Rick carefully pulled out. Daryl let out an adorable whimper at the loss. “That was so hot,” Rick panted.

 

“That was,” he paused. “It was.. I..why did we wait so long to try this?” Daryl laughed. Rick laughed as well and sat up. Panic slammed through Daryl’s body instantly. Was Rick leaving now? Did he do something wrong? Was he not good? “A..are you leaving?”

 

Rick looked back over his shoulder when he heard Daryl’s voice shake and he saw the fear and hurt on his face. “No, God no! Just lay back sweetheart. I’m gonna take care of you, ok?”

 

“Kay,” he breathed out shakily. He watched as Rick got some wet wipes out of his pack and cleaned himself off then got some more and turned to him. He gasped as the cold wipe touched his skin. Rick was so gentle and soothing he didn’t even blush when his lover cleaned his most intimate places. He accepted the bottle of water that he was offered and drink greedily before handing it back.

 

Rick put the empty bottle down and laid down next to Daryl pulling him close so that he was resting against Rick’s chest. He realized just how fragile and vulnerable Daryl was right now and he was going to make sure that he knew just how loved he was. If Rick Grimes had his way he’d never stop showing him.

 

 

The End

 

 


End file.
